Zacks Releases Four Powerful ''Buy'' Stocks: Kadant, Northeast Utilities, CARBO Ceramics and Westlake Chemical

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – May 13, 2011 – Four free stock picks are being made available today on Zacks.com. The industry’s leading independent research firm highlights one Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy or a Zacks #2 Rank Buy stock for each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum, and Value.

The four highlighted picks are: Kadant Inc. (KAI - Snapshot Report), Northeast Utilities (NU - Analyst Report), CARBO Ceramics, Inc. (CRR - Snapshot Report), and Westlake Chemical (WLK - Snapshot Report).

Today, Zacks informs investors of its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Four daily picks are offered free at http://at.zacks.com/?id=88.

From 1988 through the present – a period that included serious corrections and recessions – the Zacks #1 Rank Stocks have nearly tripled the market with a fully documented average gain of +28% per year.

Here is a summary of today's selected stocks that are now highly rated by Zacks:

Aggressive Growth – Kadant Inc. (KAI - Snapshot Report)
Kadant Inc. continues its impressive streak of topping expectations. The company also guided higher resulting in dramatic upward estimate revisions from analysts.

Zacks Guide to Aggressive Growth Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4309

Growth & Income – Northeast Utilities (NU - Analyst Report)
The harsh winter on the East Coast may have frustrated New Englanders, but shareholders of Northeast Utilities aren't complaining. On May 5, NU reported better than expected first quarter results due in large part to much colder weather.

Zacks Guide to Growth & Income Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4310

Momentum – CARBO Ceramics, Inc. (CRR - Snapshot Report)
CARBO Ceramics, Inc. recently surged higher into a new all-time high after reporting strong Q1 results that came in ahead of expectations. With an average earnings surprise of 21% over the last four quarters and a bullish growth projection, this Zacks #1 rank stock is a top momentum player.

Zacks Guide to Momentum Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4311

Value – Westlake Chemical (WLK - Snapshot Report)
Westlake Chemical analysts have been significantly raising estimates over the past 3 months. However, shares took a dive on the recent earnings surprise.

Zacks Guide to Value Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4312

How to Regularly Access Top Zacks Rank Picks Free: http://at.zacks.com/?id=7154

Underlying the four free stock picks is a simple truth that first appeared in a Financial Analysts Journal article published in 1979. Leonard Zacks, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from M.I.T. found that "earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices." Zacks #1 Rank is awarded to a stock when analysts sharply upgrade their estimates of what the company will earn.

Today, Zacks releases stock recommendations by offering four daily picks free to those who register at http://at.zacks.com/?id=7155

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Len Zacks. The company continually processes stock reports issued by 3,000 analysts from 150 brokerage firms. It monitors more than 200,000 earnings estimates, looking for changes.

Then, when changes are discovered, they’re applied to help assign more than 4,400 stocks into five Zacks Rank categories: #1 Strong Buy, #2 Buy, #3 Hold, #4 Sell, and #5 Strong Sell. This proprietary stock-picking system continues to outperform the market by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.

More Free Stock Picks

Each weekday, new Zacks #1 Rank or Zacks #2 Rank stock picks are released on the free email newsletter, Profit from the Pros. Investors are invited to register for their free subscription at http://at.zacks.com/?id=91

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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.

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Read the full analyst report on KAI

Read the full analyst report on NU

Read the full analyst report on CRR

Read the full analyst report on WLK