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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Heidrick, ArcBest, On Deck, Fossil and Mosaic

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL –December 4, 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: Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. (HSII - Free Report) , ArcBest Corp. (ARCB - Free Report) , On Deck Capital Inc. , Fossil Group Inc. (FOSL - Free Report) and The Mosaic Co. (MOS - Free Report) .

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Indexes Up Despite Volatility: 5 Top Growth Picks

Wall Street is in the green despite being plagued by stock market mayhem in October and November. A sharp recovery in the last week of November has positioned all three major indexes – the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite – northbound.

An initial truce between the United States and China regarding eight month old trade conflicts, robust U.S. economy and controlled level of inflation will pave the way for U.S. stocks to move higher. Consequently, it will be a prudent move to invest in stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank and strong growth potential.

Broader Market Northbound

Despite severe volatility in October and November, all the major stock indexes – the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite – provided year to date return of 3.3%, 3.2% and 6.2%, respectively.

All three indexes closed in the red for three months namely – March and April (inflationary concerns and trade conflicts) and October (trade conflicts and expectations of higher interest rate). Except a small loss of the Dow in June, indexes have been providing positive returns to investors.

For the week (Nov 26-30), the Dow gained 5.2%, its highest weekly gain since November 2016. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite gained 4.9% and 5.6%, respectively. Both indexes recorded strongest weekly performance since December 2011.

Trade Truce Between US-China

On Dec 1, the U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reached an initial agreement to permanently solve the eight month old trade-related conflicts between the two countries.

In a dinner meeting at G-20 summit in Argentina, both presidents agreed on certain mutually acceptable terms. Per the agreed terms, the United States will stay its decision to raise tariff rate from 10% to 25% on $200 billion Chinese goods. Meanwhile, China will substantially increase imports of agricultural, energy, industrial and other product from the United States to reduce current trade imbalance.

The truce will be valid for next 90 days during which the two countries will try to solve bilateral trade conflicts regarding technology transfer, intellectual property and agriculture. Moreover, neither side will levy any further tariff on the other during this period.

Robust U.S. Economy

In its second estimate, the Department of Commerce confirmed on Nov 28 that the U.S. GDP for the third quarter of 2018 expanded by 3.5%. This implies that the U.S. economy increased 3.3% in the first nine months of 2018, surpassing the target of 3% set by President Trump.

On Nov 29, the Department of Commerce reported that personal consumption expenditures increased $86.9 billion or 0.6% in October, highest in seven months. October data exhibited growing momentum for consumer spending which constitutes over 70% of U.S. GDP. This could be a signal for robust fourth-quarter GDP data.

Our Top Picks

At this stage, investment in stocks with strong growth potential will be lucrative. Our selection is backed by a good Zacks Growth Score and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with a Growth Style Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy) offer the best opportunities in the Growth-investing space. We have handpicked five such stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 and Growth Style Score of A.

Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. provides executive search, culture shaping, and leadership consulting services on a retained basis to businesses and business leaders in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company has expected earnings growth of 118.4% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 6.3% over the last 30 days.

ArcBest Corp. (ARCB) provides freight transportation services and integrated logistics solutions worldwide. The company has expected earnings growth of 186.5% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 14.8% over the last 30 days.

On Deck Capital Inc. operates an online platform for small business lending in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company has expected earnings growth of 5,200% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 20.5% over the last 30 days.

Fossil Group Inc. is involved in designing, marketing and distribution of consumer fashion accessories. The company has expected earnings growth of 1,960% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 32.1% over the last 30 days.

The Mosaic Co. produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients worldwide. The company has expected earnings growth of 71.6% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 7.5% over the last 30 days.

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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 http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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