Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology
Wed, December 15, 2010
Tue, December 14, 2010 Atlantic Tele-Network, MDU Resources Group, ICON plc and Amedisys
CHICAGO--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Zacks.com releases details on a group of stocks that are currently members of the exclusive Zacks #5 Rank List a" Stocks to Sell Now. These stocks are currently rated as a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell): Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: [ ATNI ]) and MDU Resources Group, Inc.(NYSE: [ MDU ]) Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: ICON plc (Nasdaq: [ ICLR ]) and Amedisys, Inc. (Nasdaq: [ AMED ]). To see the full Zacks #5 Rank List - Stocks to Sell Now visit: [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=92 ]
"Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices."
Since inception in 1988, the S&P 500 has outperformed the Zacks #5 Rank List of Stocks to Sell Now by 80% annually (+2% vs. +10%). While the rest of Wall Street continued to tout stocks during the market declines of the last few years, Zacks told investors which stocks to sell or avoid.
Here is a synopsis of why ATNI and MDU have a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell) and should most likely be sold or avoided for the next one to three months. Note that a #5 Strong Sell rating is applied to 5% of all the stocks in the Zacks Rank universe:
Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: [ ATNI ]) posted a third-quarter profit of 41 cents per share on October 28, which lagged analysts expectations by nearly 55%. The full-year average forecast fell by a penny to $2.63 per share from $2.64 in the last 30 days as 1 analyst out of 3 slashed estimates.
MDU Resources Group, Inc.a™s (NYSE: [ MDU ]) third-quarter earnings of 41 cents per share, announced on October 28, which came behind the Zacks Consensus Estimate by nearly 3 cents. Revenues for 2010 fell by $31.6 million to $60.8 million. Moreover the diluted net income reduced 32% on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2010 dropped by a penny to a profit of $1.22 per share in the last 30 days which reflected reductions by 2 analysts out of 9.
Here is a synopsis of why ICLR and AMED have a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) and should also most likely be sold or avoided for the next one to three months. Note that a #4 Sell rating is applied to 15% of all the stocks ranked by Zacks.
ICON plc (Nasdaq: [ ICLR ]) reported first-quarter earnings of 33 cents per share on October 21, which came in nearly 11% short of analystsa™ expectations. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year decreased 4 cents to a profit of $1.45 over the past couple of months as 2 analysts out of 12 revised downwards. Next yeara™s forecast fell 17 cents to $1.50 per share during that period.
Amedisys, Inc.a™s(Nasdaq: [ AMED ]) third-quarter earnings of 89 cents per share, reported on October 26, was 91 cents lower than analystsa™ projections. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2010 stands at profit of $4.24 per share, 3 cents lower than last montha™s forecast as 4 out of the 12 covering analysts pulled back on expectations. Estimate for the following year fell 4 cents to a profit of $3.39 per share in that time span.
Truly taking advantage of the Zacks Rank requires the understanding of how it works. The free special report; aZacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisionsa is available to provide this insightful background. Download a free copy now to prosper in the years to come at [ 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 +27%. 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 significantly underperformed the S&P 500 (-0.9% versus +9%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.
Visit [ http://www.zacks.com/performance ] for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Zacks aProfit from the Prosa e-mail newsletter offers continuous coverage of Zacks Rank Buy stocks and highlights those stocks poised to outperform the market. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=94 ]
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=95 ]
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