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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: AnaptysBio, , Roku, SMART Global Holdings, UroGen Pharma and Calyxt

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – Jan 02, 2018 – 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 AnaptysBio, Inc. (ANAB - Free Report) , Roku, Inc. (ROKU - Free Report) , SMART Global Holdings, Inc. (SGH - Free Report) , UroGen Pharma Ltd. (URGN - Free Report) and Calyxt, Inc. .

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

5 Best-Performing IPOs of 2017

Wall Street had a ball in 2017 with a strong and steady run for most of the year. Several milestones were achieved by the benchmarks and investors luxuriated in the surge. In fact, the S&P 500 gained not only more than 20% but also saw its best year since 2013.

The year also marked a bounce back for the U.S. IPO market courtesy of improving economic fundamentals and consumer sentiment. Successful IPOs poured in primarily from the biotech and technology sectors while the comeback of the Chinese issuers added to the bliss.

Going by numbers from Renaissance Capital, 160 IPOs were priced this year, marking a whopping 52.4% increase from the last. Total proceeds raised in the year swelled 88.8% from the prior year to $35.5 billion.

However, considering the broader market’s stellar returns, the performance of the IPO market was less robust than expected, primarily due to the underwhelming performance of Snap and Blue Apron. Investors became concerned about valuation and adopted a restrained approach in investing in IPOs. Moreover, the reservations associated with the tax overhaul acted as a dampener.

Nevertheless, the outlook appears bright for next year amid expectations of an improved economy. In fact, in its December FOMC meeting, the Fed provided a better outlook, in terms of GDP growth for 2018. A positive revision in projected inflation and expectations of a “strong” job market were also part of the forecasts. In addition, higher corporate earnings and the recent tax overhaul with lower corporate taxes are likely to boost earnings higher, benefiting the stock market and driving the IPO momentum forward.

Moreover, foreign companies have a huge preference for the U.S. market when it comes to listing and this trend is expected to continue next year. Also, IPOs are likely to witness an uptick from "unicorns," or small- and mid-sized firms that are valued at more than $1 billion. In fact, per a Reuters report, 2018 is likely to see the debut of unicorns like Airbnb and Spotify.

Here is a list of five top performing IPOs in 2017 based on their returns.

AnaptysBio, Inc., based in San Diego, CA, is a biotechnology company involved in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies for inflammation and immuno-oncology primarily in the Unites states. It has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Roku, Inc., headquartered in Los Gatos, CA, is involved in creating streaming platform for delivering entertainment to the television. It operates primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and France.  Roku has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold).

SMART Global Holdings, Inc.is a designer, manufacturer and supplier of electronic subsystems to OEMs. The company is headquartered in Newark, CA. The stock has a Zacks Rank of 1.

(Looking for the Best Stocks for 2018? Be among the first to see our Top Ten Stocks for 2018 portfolio here.)

UroGen Pharma Ltd., based in Ra'anana, Israel, is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company. It concentrates on developing urological pathologies with a focus on uro-oncology. UroGen Pharma has a Zacks Rank of 3.

Calyxt, Inc., based in New Brighton, MN, is a consumer-centric, food- and agriculture-focused company. It researches and develops seeds and food ingredients for agricultural, feed, and food applications as well as offers fat saturation and gluten reduction in soybean oil and wheat. Calyxt has a Zacks Rank of 3.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

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Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1 Stock of the Day pick for free.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News

Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.