N※N

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Holly Corp., NBTY and SurModics

  //business-finance.news-articles.net/content/201 .. ance-holdings-holly-corp-nbty-and-surmodics.html
  Published in Business and Finance on Tuesday, May 18th 2010 at 15:10 GMT by Market Wire
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication}

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): Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: [ AHL ])and Holly Corp. (NYSE: [ HOC ]). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: NBTY, Inc. (NYSE: [ NTY ]) and SurModics, Inc. (Nasdaq: [ SRDX ]). 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 AHL and HOC 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:

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltda™s (NYSE: [ AHL ]) first-quarter earnings per share of 1 cent, announced on Apr 28, decreased 99% on a year-over-year basis. This apart, earnings missed analystsa™ expectations by 88%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full year declined to a profit of $2.88 per share from $3.97 over the past 2 months. Next yeara™s forecast slipped a penny to $3.77 per share in the last 7 days.

Holly Corp. (NYSE: [ HOC ]) posted a first-quarter loss of 53 cents per share on May 6, which was 11 cents wider than analystsa™ projections. This was far behind the companya™s earnings of 44 cents per share in the year-ago period. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2010 fell 5 cents to a profit of $1.14 cents per share in the last week as one analyst out of 12 reduced expectations.

Here is a synopsis of why NTY and SRDX 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;

NBTY, Inc. (NYSE: [ NTY ]) announced second-quarter earnings per share of 73 cents on Apr 27 that lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 21%. The full-year average forecast moved down 40 cents to a profit of $3.64 per share in the last 30 days, reflecting cuts by all of the 8 covering analysts. Estimate for 2011 dipped 41 cents to $3.88 per share in the same period.

SurModics, Inc. (Nasdaq: [ SRDX ]) reported second-quarter earnings of 10 cents per share on Apr 28, which was 37% short of the average forecast. Revenues fell to $18.4 million from last yeara™s $20.9 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2010 declined 16 cents to 50 cents per share over the past month as all of the 6 covering analysts revised downward. Next yeara™s estimate slid 30 cents to 69 cents per share during that time.

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 ]

Follow us on Twitter: [ http://twitter.com/zacksresearch ]

Join us on Facebook: [ http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts ]

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

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.