Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Amazon.com, Zimmer Holdings Inc., Stryker Corporation, Wright Medical and Smith & Nephew

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 26, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Amazon.com (AMZN - Analyst Report), Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH - Snapshot Report), Stryker Corporation (SYK - Analyst Report), Wright Medical (WMGI - Analyst Report) and Smith & Nephew (SNN - Snapshot Report).

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Here are highlights from Friday’s AnalystBlog:

Amazon Generating Solid Growth

Amazon.com’s (AMZN - Analyst Report) third quarter earnings beat the Zacks consensus by 12 cents. Revenue beat by 8.3%.

Revenue for the period was $5.5 billion, up 17.2% sequentially and 27.8% year over year. Revenue exceeded the top end of management’s guidance range of $4.75-5.25 billion (up 2.1% sequentially and up 12.9% year over year).

Approximately 52% of sales were generated in North America, which increased 16.0% sequentially and 23.5% year over year. The balance came from the International segment, which increased 18.5% sequentially and 32.8% year over year.

Zimmer Outdoes, Reaffirms Outlook

Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH - Snapshot Report) today reported earnings per share of 88 cents in the third quarter of 2009, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 86 cents. However, earnings per share declined by 9.3% year over year in the reported quarter.

Net sales in the reported quarter increased 2.4% year over year to $976 million. Excluding an unfavorable foreign currency translation (FX), net sales increased 3.6% year over year. On a geographic basis, U.S. sales represented approximately 60% of total revenues and increased 4% year over year. Europe revenues declined 3% year over year to $242 million. Asia-Pacific contributed $149 million of revenues and increased 8% year over year.

Zimmer has reaffirmed its sales and earnings guidance for full fiscal 2009. For the year, excluding FX, net sales are estimated to increase between 1% and 3% over that in 2008. At the current level, FX is estimated to negatively impact revenue growth by roughly 1.6%. Earnings per share should be in the range of $3.85 to $4.00. Zimmer is a global leader in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of reconstructive implants, and trauma and related orthopedic surgical products. The company competes in the orthopedic market with players such as Stryker Corporation (SYK - Analyst Report), Wright Medical (WMGI - Analyst Report) and Smith & Nephew (SNN - Snapshot Report).

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