Zacks.com releases the latest list of Zacks Rank Buy Stocks. Everyday on Zacks.com, four stocks are selected based on how well they match the criteria for the four main schools of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum and Value. The four Zacks Rank Buy stocks highlighted today are LG.Philips LCD CO., Ltd. (NYSE: LPL), Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO), Deckers Outdoor Corporation (Nasdaq: DECK) and United Stationers, Inc. (Nasdaq: USTR).
Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of +32.2% since inception in 1988. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained 43.8% while the S&P 500 tumbled -37.6%. To see the full Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) List, or the rank for any other stock, visit: http://at.zacks.com/?id=88
Here is a synopsis of today’s Zacks Rank Buy Stocks:
Aggressive Growth – LG.Philips LCD CO., Ltd. (NYSE: LPL)
LG.Philips LCD CO., Ltd. is minting money by selling hot LCD televisions. Third-quarter profits rocketed due to its joint venture and earnings estimates are heading up. Over the past 60 days, this year's estimates have jumped 47 cents $1.77 per share. Next year's numbers have risen 66 cents. One out of the four covering analysts have raised his estimates over the past month.
Growth & Income – Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO)
Flowers Foods, Inc. is trading near a 52-week high despite a tough market, and recently declared a quarterly dividend of $.125 per share. The company is yielding 2.18%, which is well ahead of its industry average. The company’s ROE of 14.71% tops the industry’s average of 11.73%. Five out of seven covering analysts have pegged current full-year 2007 forecasts at $1.00, versus last month’s 98 cents.
Momentum – Deckers Outdoor Corporation (Nasdaq: DECK)
Deckers Outdoor Corporation recently logged another excellent quarter, increased its 2007 full-year guidance, and has expanded its line of footwear to extend beyond just seasonal items. The company's stock price has responded to the good news, recently establishing a nice area of support after retreating from its fresh 52-week high.
Value – United Stationers, Inc. (Nasdaq: USTR)
United Stationers, Inc. is supplying shareholders with nice earnings gains. The company recently exceeded third-quarter forecasts and turned in strong cash flow growth. The stock is trading at discounted valuations of 13.7x earnings and 0.3x sales, both below the industry averages. The stock has a healthy ROE of 14% as well. The company has exceeded earnings estimates in three out of the past four quarters.
The free special report, “Zacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisions,” provides an insightful background about this wealth-building tool. Download your free copy of the report now to prosper in the years to come by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=93.
About the Zacks Rank
Since 1988, the Zacks Rank has proven that "Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices." Since inception in 1988, #1 Rank stocks have generated an average annual return of +32.2%. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%, while the S&P 500 tumbled -37.6%. Also note that the Zacks Rank system has just as many Strong Sell recommendations (Rank #5) as Strong Buy recommendations (Rank #1). Since 1988, Zacks Rank #5 stocks have underperformed the S&P 500 by 129% annually (+5.3% vs. +12.1%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.
The performance of the Zacks Rank portfolios shown above for annual and year-to-date periods are the linked monthly total returns (price changes + dividends) of equal weighted hypothetical portfolios, consisting of those stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank, assuming monthly rebalancing and zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios. The hypothetical portfolios were created at the beginning of each month from Jan 1988 forward based on the values of the Zacks Rank available to Zacks' clients before the beginning of each month. The portfolios created monthly from 1988 through September 2006 exclude ADRs and are comprised of stocks that have the indicated Zacks Rank and were covered by at least two analysts at the time of the stocks inclusion in the portfolio. Starting in October 2006 and going forward, the portfolios are comprised of all stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank and do not exclude ADRs, which is more reflective of the list of stocks that customers will find on the Zacks web sites. 2007 returns are for the period of Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2007. These performance numbers have been audited from 1995 through 2003 by Autschuler Melovan, a division of American Express Financial.
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The S&P 500 Index is a well-known, unmanaged index of the prices of 500 large-company common stocks, mainly blue-chip stocks, selected by Standard & Poor's. The S&P 500 Index assumes reinvestment of dividends but does not reflect advisory fees. An investor cannot invest directly in an index.
Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Contacts:
Aggressive Growth Stocks:
Roopak Chakravarty
Phone:
312-265-9188
or
Growth & Income Stocks:
Alex Kolb
Phone:
312-265-9149
or
Momentum Stocks:
Roopak Chakravarty
Phone:
312-265-9188
or
Value Stocks:
Michael Vodicka
Phone:
312-265-9226
Email: pr@zacks.com
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