AIR PRODS & CHE APD

May 03, 2012

Since inception in 1988, the S&P 500 has outperformed the Zacks #5 Rank List - Stocks to Sell Now by 80% annually (+2% versus +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 CVH and APD 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:

Coventry Health Care, Inc. (CVH) announced first-quarter profit of 62 cents per share on April 27 that missed analysts? expectations by 1.59%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year slid to $2.72 per share from $3.25 per share in the last 30 days as next year?s estimate dipped 23 cents per share to $3.27 per share in that time span.

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (APD) posted a second-quarter profit of $1.31 per share on April 24, which came in 2 cents wider than the average forecast. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full year fell to $5.56 per share from $5.93 per share over the past month. For 2013, analysts expect a profit of $6.36 per share, compared to last month?s projection for a profit of $6.66 per share.

Here is a synopsis of why DECK and ICON 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;

Deckers Outdoor Corp (DECK) first-quarter profit of 20 cents per share, posted on April 26, lagged analysts? projections by 20%. Estimate for current year slid 53 cents per share to $4.61 per share over a month as next year?s estimate dipped 54 cents per share to $5.60 per share in that time span.

Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (ICON) reported a first-quarter profit of 43 cents per share on April 25 that fell 6.52% short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The full-year average forecast is currently $1.68 per share, compared with last month?s projection of $1.80 per share. Next year?s forecast dropped to $1.88 per share from $1.95 per share in the same period.