For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 22, 2009 - Zacks Research Equity Strategist, Dirk Van Dijk says that S&P 500 earnings are continuing to show red ink. He tracks companies on the Zacks.com web site, naming names, while forecasting trends for the months ahead.

Key Points from Van Dijk's Latest Earnings Assessment Earnings Trends Key Points:

Earnings surprise ratio (#beat / #miss) at 5.56 Median Earnings Surprise 7.90% Year-over-year earnings growth ratio (# Positive Growth/# Negative Growth) at 0.74 Sales surprise ratio at 2.0 Sales growth ratio at just 0.35 Total net income for S&P 500 reported firms is 12.1%. This is above what those same 66 firms reported a year ago and 4.9% above what they earned in Q209 Total S&P 500 revenues reported down 4.7% ...

• Alcoa (NYSE:AA) was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) due to a "more optimistic view of base, bulk and precious metals over the medium-term"

• After yesterday's close, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) CEO, Ken Lewis, announced plans to retire. The bank also reported plans to sell its asset-management unit to Ameriprise (NYSE:AMP) for between $900 and $1.2 billion

• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) received two brokerage upgrades

• Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) denied reports of talks with General Electric (NYSE:GE) over the purchase of a stake in NBC Universal

• Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) initiated a $3 billion cash offer for Norwegian video-conferencing firm Tandberg

• Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) was removed from Goldman Sachs' (NYSE:GS) Conviction Buy List, with its "buy" rating maintained and a $30 price target

• Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) reported fiscal second quarter results of 45 cents up from estimates of 41 cents equaling last year's 45 cents

Zacks Investment Research

• Alcoa (NYSE:AA) was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) due to a "more optimistic view of base, bulk and precious metals over the medium-term"

• After yesterday's close, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) CEO, Ken Lewis, announced plans to retire. The bank also reported plans to sell its asset-management unit to Ameriprise (NYSE:AMP) for between $900 and $1.2 billion

• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) received two brokerage upgrades

• Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) denied reports of talks with General Electric (NYSE:GE) over the purchase of a stake in NBC Universal

• Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) initiated a $3 billion cash offer for Norwegian video-conferencing firm Tandberg

• Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) was removed from Goldman Sachs' (NYSE:GS) Conviction Buy List, with its "buy" rating maintained and a $30 price target

• Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) reported fiscal second quarter results of 45 cents up from estimates of 41 cents equaling last year's 45 cents

Zacks Investment Research

In last week's edition of Trading Tools, alternative energy issue First Solar (FSLR) was analyzed, as it appeared on the Zacks Put/Call Ratio Above 1.0 (bullish) filter. Utilizing the Zacks Unusually High Option Volume screener for today's column, the sudden surge in call activity surrounding Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) caught my eye.

< ?DART(15);?> Before we begin, let's explain the contrarian stance that makes Schaeffer's so unique. When searching for a bullish pick, we like to see heavy skepticism toward an outperforming stock, as this leaves ample room for upgrades or other positive catalysts to fuel the stock higher. When searching for a bearish pick, on the other hand, contrarians are looking for significant bullish sentiment toward an underperforming stock, as we believe an excess of optimism is a sign that everyone has already bought into the stock and sideline money is

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• Novellus (NASDAQ:NVLS) CEO Rick Hill provided optimistic outlooks for the current quarter and next. He narrowed the gain in bookings to an expected 40-55% rise from 20-50%, the range of shipments to $150 -$170 million from $140-$170 million, with earnings expected to range between a nine cent loss and breakeven, up from a 15 cent loss and breakeven

• Citigroup (NYSE:C) analysts lowered their rating on Abercrombie and Fitch (NYSE:ANF) to "sell" from "hold" and cut the price target to $24 from $33

• Costco (NASDAQ:COST) received an upgrade from JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM)

• H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) reported fiscal first quarter loss from continuing operations of 39 cents a share, a bit worse than the Zacks expectations of a 37 cent loss, as revenues grew 1.3% to $275.5 million, off estimates of $281 million. The firm, however, maintained full year projections of $1.60-$1.80

• Cooper Companies (NYSE:COO) reported third quarter earnings of 54

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* General Mills (NYSE:GIS) reported fiscal fourth quarter earnings of 86 cents per share, ex-items, besting estimates by 5 cents, versus 53 cents a share a year earlier, as net sales improved 5% y/y to $3.6 billion on strong sales of its cereal and dough products.  The company said it expects full-year earnings of $4.20 to $4.25 a share

* Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) new Bing browser gained market share from Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), during its first month of operation, surpassing Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) as the number two search engine

* Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) said it is terminating its late-stage drug trial of Sutent, for first-time treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

* AMAG Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AMAG) announced FDA approval of its iron deficiency drug

* Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded shares of Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) to "buy"

* Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) reported fiscal first quarter earnings of 33 cents a share, one penny above estimates, versus 43 cents a share a year

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - June 29, 2009 - Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This week's list includes Apollo Group (APOL), Constellation Brands (STZ), General Mills (GIS) and H&R Block (HRB). To see more earnings analysis, visit http://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.

Every day, Zacks.com makes 4 stock picks available, free of charge. To see them, go to http://at.zacks.com/?id=5612.

The Week's Events

This will be a holiday week with a limited number of earnings reports and low volume.

Out of the 19 companies confirmed to report, 4 are in the S&P 500: Apollo Group (APOL), Constellation Brands (STZ), General Mills (GIS) and H&R Block (HRB).

June unemployment and nonfarm payrolls data will be published a day early on Jul 2. Combined with

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This will be a holiday week with a limited number of earnings reports and low volume.

Out of the 19 companies confirmed to report, 4 are in the S&P 500: Apollo Group (

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Asian markets rose for a fourth day amid a global rally in stocks as hopes that the worst of the economic crisis is over boosted demand for riskier assets.  Investors continued to look at the bright side of things, shrugging off a U.S. jobs report on Friday which showed unemployment rose to 8.5% in March.  Although the numbers were up from 8.1% in February, they were only slightly worse than expected.  Sunday's launch of a long-range missile by North Korea appeared to have little impact on the markets and was seen as having little economic implication.  Boosting the sentiment further were U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments that policies to ease the financial crisis through infusion of billions of dollars in aid were beginning to work. 

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average closed up 108.09 points, or 1.2%, to 8,857.93, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 452.35 points,

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Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (

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