Syntel Inc.

Syntel Inc. (SYNT - Snapshot Report) is a solid Growth and Income pick that continues to see strong momentum. Shares are trading near a 52-week high and nearly doubled the market’s gain since SYNT was last featured as Zacks Rank Buy stock idea just a few weeks ago.

The company recently announced that it was included on Fortune Magazine's global list of "100 Fastest Growing Companies.”

Higher Forecasts

Syntel is calling for earnings to range of $2.40 to $2.50 per share.

The full-year Zacks Consensus Estimate has been on the rise, climbing from $2.20 to $2.43 per share over the past 2 months, a 2-cent increase since SYNT was last featured in mid-August.

For 2010, the Zacks Consensus Estimate stands at $2.39, versus last month’s $2.35 and the 2 months-ago level of $2.11.

Strong Industry Comparisons

The technology services player has a return on equity (ROE) of 40%, more than doubling the industry-average of 14%. The company boasts a solid balance sheet, showing no debt. Its net profit margin of 25% is well above the industry average of 5%. Syntel’s dividend yield of 1% is above the industry average and translates into an annual dividend of 24 cents per share.

Read the August 12 commentary on SYNT.

Last Week's Growth and Income Zacks Rank Buy Stocks

Raytheon Company (RTN - Analyst Report) continues to be a solid Growth and Income pick with strong fundamentals, such as an industry-leading dividend yield of 3%. Raytheon’s return on equity (ROE) of 18% tops the industry average of 15%. The company’s net profit margin of 7.5% compares to an industry average of 6%. Read the full story on RTN.

Strayer Education, Inc. (STRA - Analyst Report) continues to see higher earnings forecasts. The current full-year Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.48 per share climbed 4 cents from earlier this month, when STRA was previously featured as Growth and Income pick, and shot up by 21 cents from the month-prior projection. The company also continues to boast industry-leading fundamentals, such as its ROE of 56%. Read the full story on STRA

NewMarket Corporation (NEU - Snapshot Report) recently reported second-quarter earnings of $2.50 per share, outpacing the previous year’s $1.13 and soaring past the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 57%. Shortly after reporting, NEU declared a quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share, which translates into an industry-leading yield of 1.2%. Read the full story on NEU.

Stepan Company (SCL - Snapshot Report) recently turned in record results for the second quarter. Earnings per share of $2.09 surpassed the previous year’s 93 cents and topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 130%. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share, which translates into an industry-leading yield of 1.85%. Read the full analysis on SCL.

Read the full analyst report on SYNT