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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Beazer Homes USA, International Paper, Portland General Electric, Lifetime Brands and Otter Tail Corp

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 19, 2020 – 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: Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (BZH - Free Report) , International Paper Co. (IP - Free Report) , Portland General Electric Co. (POR - Free Report) , Lifetime Brands, Inc. (LCUT - Free Report)  and Otter Tail Corp. (OTTR - Free Report) ,

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Industrial Production Picks Up in October: 5 Top Gainers

Per the latest release by the Federal Reserve, industrial production gained 1.1% in October after a revised fall of 0.4% in September. This comes as welcome news for the economy, which is grappling with rising COVID-19 cases despite the silver lining of positive vaccine trials.

Within major market groups, the Fed noted that the output of consumer goods advanced in October following September’s decline. Notably, consumer goods rose 0.8% in October compared to September’s revised decline of 1% reflecting a gradual comeback in consumer demand. The gains came as the index made a quick comeback after it fell more than 17% between February and April. It was within 1.7% of its February level in October.

Among other market groups, construction also gained 1.6% in October following September’s revised gain of 0.6%, signaling a turnaround in construction activities as the economy gradually opened up. Moreover, the output for materials also increased 1% in October following the revised nil gain in September.

Meanwhile, among industry groups, manufacturing output gained 1% in October following September’s revised gain of 0.1%. The index for utilities also gained 3.9% in October compared to September’s revised decline of 5.2%. The Fed noted that the gain in the index was aided by a rise in electric utilities, which helped in offsetting the fall for natural gas utilities.

Moreover, capacity utilization also witnessed an uptick in October. This indicated a rebound in demand during the month following the dip witnessed in September’s utilization rate compared to August. The Fed noted that for the industrial sector, capacity utilization came in at 72.8% compared to 72% reported in September, which was revised upward from 71.5% reported earlier. The operating rate for August was also revised upward to 72.2% from the previously reported 72%.

Notably, utilization for manufacturing and utilities picked up in October. Capacity utilization for manufacturing was reported at 71.7% compared to the revised 71% reported in September. Meanwhile, the operating rate in utilities was at 72.7% in October following September’s revised operating rate of 70.2%.

5 Top Stocks to Buy Now

The uptick in industrial production in October is encouraging for the economy in face of the uncertainties arising out of the pandemic. The gains within major market and industrial groups like consumer goods, construction, materials and utilities signal a turnaround from the lows witnessed earlier. This makes it an ideal time to invest in such stocks with strong fundamentals that can gain from this positive trend going forward.

We have picked five such stocks which carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Beazer Homes USA operates as a homebuilding company in the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 52% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 2.1%.

International Paper Co. operates through the segments of industrial packaging, global cellulose fibers and printing papers, in the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 13.8% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 20.7%.

Portland General Electric Co. engages in generation, transmission, distribution, wholesale purchase and retail sales of electricity in the state of Oregon in the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 7.5% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 65.8%.

Lifetime Brands designs, sources and sells branded kitchenware, tableware and other products in the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 26.1% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 93.3%.

Otter Tail Corp., under its electric segment, produces, transmits, distributes and sells electric energy in the United States, and engages in manufacturing and plastics businesses too. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings increased 1.8% over the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 4.2%.

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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.

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