Dear Subscriber,

Third-quarter results for many companies are not going to be good because of tough year-over-year comparisons.

Still, there will be some companies which will report improvements in their bottom lines and others delivering top line (revenue) growth.

In this week's Industry Rank Analysis, I tell you what industries could report the strongest growth. I also explain what the markets will be really looking for from third-quarter earnings.

Read: Third-Quarter Earnings Forecast


Since so many stocks have a Zacks #3 Rank (“hold”) rating, we are commonly asked what to do with them. Should you truly “hold” such stocks? Or you should sell them and use that money to add new Buy rated stocks to your portfolio?

Steve Reitmeister gives you the answers in the latest Investing The Zacks Way.

Watch: All About Zacks Rank #3 Holds

Wishing you prosperity,
Charles Rotblut, CFA
Senior Market Analyst & Editor,
Profit From the Pros

Today's Top Stories: Thursday- September 17, 2009

ZACKS RANK BUY STOCKS

• Aggressive Growth - China Fire & Security Group (CFSG) second quarter net income rose $1.7 million, or 25%, to $8.3 million for the period. This equated to 29 cents per share, 6 cents higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate and 5 cents higher than last year. Read More...
   
• Growth & Income - Lubrizol Corp. (LZ) current-year estimate is up 24 cents in just the last 7 days and a whopping $1.97 in the last 3 months, currently standing at $6.20 per share. The stock is trading at 11.5X projected current-year earnings, a sharp discount to the overall market. Read More...
   
• Momentum - Bancolumbia SA (CIB) earnings came in strong at 64 cents, 4 cents ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company noted that its solid results were driven by an increase in corporate lending, up 17% from last year, and deposits, which were up 24% from last year. Read More...
   
• Value - Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) analysts continue to be extremely bullish on the company and estimates are jumping. The third quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate rose 8 cents in just the last 7 days to $3.49 per share. That is up from $2.57 per share 90 days ago. Read More...
   

Learn how to profit from our exclusive Zacks Rank stock-ranking system with free resources. Read More...

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• Bull Of The Day: Del Monte Foods (DLM)
  Full Zacks research report: Read More...
  
  
• Bear Of The Day: Hain Celestial (HAIN)
  Full Zacks research report: Read More...
  
  
• ZACKS INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: Oil & Gas Industry
  Our view is that oil should be able to hold onto its recent gains and consolidate around current levels, provided this favorable economic view remains in place. Read More...
  
  
• Unicom (CHU) to Roll Out 3G Services
• Novartis (NVS) Aims Big in COPD Market
• Enterprise (EPD) Inks New Contract

• On the Horizon: New 401(k) Investment Rules
• The New Roth Rollover Rules Explained

EDUCATION: Growth and Income

Consider Your Dividend Payout Ratio Read More...

PeopleAndPicks.com:

VIP "OnIslandTrader" rallies for the market. "Say what you want to say about this market and the lack of fundamentals supporting it, but breadth has been amazing. Almost 600 stocks hit new highs today --" Read More...

• All About Zacks Rank #3 Holds
• Third-Quarter Earnings Forecast
• Aggressive Growth Stock Picks-Sep. 15, 2009

EARNINGS TRENDS: The Cuts Have Stopped

The number of estimate cuts has plunged much faster than the number of estimate increases. Read More...

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Regards and Happy Investing,

Charles Rotblut, CFA
Senior Market Analyst
Zacks.com

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