Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Kimberly-Clark, Lamar Advertising, Mechel Steel, Plains Exploration & Production and United Technologies Corporation.

Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB), Lamar Advertising Co. (NASDAQ: LAMR), Mechel Steel (NYSE: MTL), Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE: PXP) and United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

No Quick Fix for KMB

Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) sells paper-based consumer and medical products in more than 150 countries and holds the No. 1 or No. 2 position in terms of market share in more than 80 countries. The company has strong consumer brands and is well respected for product innovation, especially in the diaper category.

Despite progress on the company's three cost savings programs (FORCE, the Global Business Plan, and the Strategic Cost Reduction Plan), raw material costs and competitive pressures have constrained earnings growth.

LAMR a Value Buy

Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lamar Advertising Co. (NASDAQ: LAMR) is one of the largest owners and operators of outdoor advertising structures in the U.S. The company is a beneficiary of any increase in demand for local advertising.

However, short-term, free cash flow is being pressured by lower revenue due to economic weakness, increased capital expenditures in the effort to digitize signs, and higher expenses related to the recently acquired outdoor advertising assets.

Concerns Remain on MTL

Mechel Steel (NYSE: MTL) is a leading mining and metallurgical company in Russia, producing coal, iron ore, nickel steel, rolled steel products, and hardware. The company benefits from backward integration and focuses on growth and cost-cutting measures. Mechel has also entered into various agreements through subsidiaries to supply its rail products to large Russian metal mining companies.

However, the company is witnessing weak prices and demand across all its segments due to the slowdown in global economy. Recently, it slashed product prices by 15%.

PXP Target Price Reduced

We are maintaining our Buy recommendation on Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE: PXP), but are decreasing our target price from $55.00 to $23.00 per share. The credit crunch and soft commodity backdrop has continued to weigh on E&P equities, and will likely continue in the near term. However, after its asset rotation program and monetization of derivatives contracts, PXP looks to enter 2009 with a very attractive asset portfolio, and $1.8 billion of liquidity (cash & revolver).

Two important factors have left us content with our recommendation: 1. we believe investors will reward E&P players with the solid balance and asset portfolios 2. The weak global economic and commodities environment has been baked into the stock, meaning there is much more upside than downside potential

Autorotation for UTX

Earlier this year, United Technologies Corporation's (NYSE: UTX) management opined that the company could probably report earnings in the range of $4.65 to $5.15 per share on revenues of some $57 billion for 2009.

At the time, that seemed a bit heroic to us, and our 2009 projection called for earnings of $4.60 per share on revenues of $55.4 billion.

Today, UTX revised its 2009 guidance downward to EPS in a range of $4.00 to $4.50 on revenues of approximately $55 billion (at least our revenue forecast was close enough for government work).

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