For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – May 28, 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: Gafisa (GFA), Tam (TAM), Vivo (VIV), Ambev (ABV) and Cost Plus, Inc. (CPWM).

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Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Brazil Getting to Pre-Crisis Levels

As we said last week, the aggressive interventions of the BCB will not prevent a major appreciation of the Brazilian real. We also said that the real would test the BRL/USD level 2.00 soon. In fact, today the real reached 2.00 per dollar and we expect further appreciation.

It is quite clear that the economic environment in Brazil is changing for better and that Brazil will outperform more developed economies like the U.S., European countries and Japan. In fact, it is already outperforming!

We still believe the strength of the Brazilian domestic market will counterbalance the negative effects of the crisis and that Brazilian interest rates will keep on falling. In such an improving economic environment we recommend Gafisa (GFA), Tam (TAM), Vivo (VIV) and Ambev (ABV).

Sell Cost Plus Down to $0.50

Cost Plus, Inc. (CPWM) management’s guidance for the second quarter cautioned investors to prepare for more of the same. Cost Plus expects same-store sales to decrease 9.5%-14.5% and a pre-tax loss from continuing operations of $14-$21 million. We reiterate our Sell rating on CPWM shares and our six-month target price of $0.50.

Our discounted cash flow analysis pegs the company’s fair value at less than $1. Unless Cost Plus manages to pull off a successful turnaround, its shares are headed lower. We think the stock has downside risk to $0.50.

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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.

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