Top Performer for Thursday: Nelnet, Inc. (NNI)

Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) is an educational finance company focused on providing quality student products and services. It offers a broad range of student loan and financial services and technology-based products, including student loan origination and lending, guarantee servicing, and a suite of software solutions.

NNI shares are trading higher by more than 12% today, which easily secures a spot on the Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers List for Thursday.

Over the past month, 4 out of 5 covering analysts have raised their 2009 expectations, sending the consensus higher by almost 7%.

Those raised earnings estimates were the result of a solid fourth-quarter performance. A month ago, the company announced earnings per share, excluding items, of 32 cents. Analysts were expecting only 19 cents, marking a positive surprise of more than 68%.

NNI was able to improve its liquidity position during 2008 by reducing student loans in its federal student loan warehouse facility to $1.4 billion at the end of 2008 from $6.6 billion at the end of 2007.

NNI is part of the FIN-CONS LOANS industry. It is 1 of 2 companies from that industry on today's Zacks #1 Rank List, which includes 203 stocks. The other company is World Acceptance Corporation (WRLD).

Read the full analyst report on WRLD

Read the full analyst report on NNI