Wednesday, July 11, 2007


CHICAGO, Jul. 11, 2007 (Business Wire) -- Zacks.com announces the latest list of top performing Zacks #1 Rank ('strong buy') stocks. The stocks on the prestigious list with the highest returns last week were Yanzhou Coal Mining Company (NYSE: YZC), O2Micro International Ltd. (NASDAQ: OIIM), Terra Industries Inc. (NYSE: TRA), Sotheby's (NYSE: BID) and TOP Tankers Inc. (NASDAQ: TOPT). Each of these stocks easily outperformed the S&P 500.

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of +31.9% since inception in 1988. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained 43.8% while the S&P 500 tumbled 37.6%. To learn more about the Zacks Rank, go to  http://at.zacks.com/?id=3172.

Here is a synopsis of the last week's best performing Zacks #1 Rank stocks.

Yanzhou Coal Mining Company (NYSE: YZC) engages in underground mining, preparation and processing, sales, and railway transportation of coal. The company was a top-performing Zacks #1 Rank company for the week ended Jul 6 as shares advanced approximately 14%. Yanzhou Coal Mining benefits from a briskly-growing, emerging Chinese market. Over the past month, earnings estimates for this year moved forward by about 16%.

O2Micro International Ltd. (NASDAQ: OIIM) recently announced that it settled a patent infringement lawsuit with Sony Corporation, Sony EMCS Corporation, Sony Corporation of America and Sony Electronics Inc. The news put O2Micro on the top-performing Zacks #1 Rank list last week with a gain of 13.7%.

O2Micro is a leading supplier of innovative power management, and security components and systems. It maintains an extensive portfolio of intellectual property with more than 7,400 patent claims granted and more than 9,000 more pending. Also last week, the company announced that it would announce second-quarter financial results on Aug 1. For its first quarter, O2Micro reported breakeven earnings per fully diluted ADS, which bettered the Wall Street consensus of a penny loss. Net sales were up more than 20% from the previous year. The company stated that it is benefiting from demand for improved battery efficiency, better graphics, larger LCD displays and LCD HDTV.

Terra Industries Inc. (NYSE: TRA) was a top performer for the entire month of June, and its momentum has crossed over into July. Shares of the leading international producer of nitrogen products advanced 13.3% last week. The company, which is getting help from a favorable environment for nitrogen products, has enjoyed a rise in 2007 earnings estimates of approximately 16% over the past month.

In April, Terra Industries announced a first quarter positive earnings surprise of more than 45% as revenues jumped 26% to $502.3 million. Terra Industries also expects positive conditions for the second-quarter as well, which it will report later this month.

Shares of Sotheby's (NYSE: BID) increased almost 12.8% last week, which was enough to make it one of the top-performing Zacks #1 Rank companies. Earnings estimates for this year are currently at $2.63, which moved upward 21% over the past two months and 7.3% over the past 30 days. Sotheby's is a global company that engages in art auction, private sales and art-related financing activities.

The art market has been strong of late, and Sotheby's only has one main competitor in Christie's. Sotheby's is scheduled to report second-quarter results in early August. The company got the year started on a high note with solid first-quarter results. Earnings per share, excluding items, reached 25 cents, which surged past the consensus by almost 317%. It also reversed a year-ago loss. Revenues advanced year-over-year by 54% to $147.4 million, thanks to higher auction commission revenues.

TOP Tankers Inc. (NASDAQ: TOPT) is an international provider of worldwide seaborne crude oil and petroleum products transportation services. Last week, shares of the company gained more than 12% to become a top-performing Zacks #1 Rank stock. Earnings estimates for this year have moved to a profit from a loss over the past two months.

About the Zacks Rank

Since 1988, the Zacks Rank has proven that 'Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices.' Since inception in 1988, #1 Rank stocks have generated an average annual return of +31.9%. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%, while the S&P 500 tumbled -37.6%. Also note that the Zacks Rank system has just as many Strong Sell recommendations (Rank #5) as Strong Buy recommendations (Rank #1). Since 1988, Zacks Rank #5 stocks have underperformed the S&P 500 by 131.8% annually (+5.2% vs. +11.9%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

To view the current Zacks #1 Rank List and to see additional Zacks Rank resources, go to  http://at.zacks.com/?id=3173.

Zacks 'Profit from the Pros' e-mail newsletter offers continuous coverage of Zacks Rank stocks and highlights those stocks poised to outperform the market. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting  http://at.zacks.com/?id=3168.

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros by going to  http://at.zacks.com/?id=3169.

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

(a)The Zacks Performance Rank performance is the total return of equal weighted simulated portfolios consisting of those stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank net of fees. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and other earnings. Simulated results do not represent actual trading and may not reflect the impact that economic and market factors might have had on decision-making if an adviser were actually managing a client's money.

(b)The S&P 500 Index ('S&P 500') is a well-known, unmanaged index of the prices of 500 large-company common stocks selected by Standard & Poor's. The S&P 500 includes the reinvestment of all dividends, no transaction costs, and represents the gross returns before management fees.

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

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