Here are the stocks added to the Zacks #1 Rank ("strong buy") List today:

Advisory Board Co (ABCO) Bell Microproducts Inc (BELM) Beneficial Mutual Bancorp Inc (BNCL) Briggs & Stratton Corp (BGG) Commerce Bancshares Inc (CBSH) Conceptus Inc (CPTS) Crane Co (CR) Dolan Media Co (DM) Dorman Products Inc (DORM) Dover Corp (DOV) Dow Chemical Co (DOW) Drew Industries Inc (DW) E-House China Holdings Ltd (EJ) ev3 Inc (EVVV) GAMCO Investors Inc (GBL) ICT Group Inc (ICTG) Integrated Silicon Solution Inc (...

Here are the stocks added to the Zacks #1 Rank ("strong buy") List today:

3M Co (MMM) Acadia Realty Trust (AKR) Actel Corp (ACTL) Amerigon Inc (ARGN) Avnet Inc (AVT) Santander BanCorp (SBP) Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp (BGFV) Briggs & Stratton Corp (BGG) Carrols Restaurant Group Inc (TAST) Cavco Industries Inc (CVCO) Connecticut Water Service Inc (CTWS) Crane Co (CR) Dow Chemical Co (DOW) Drew Industries Inc (DW) Enbridge Energy Management LLC (EEQ) Euronet Worldwide Inc (EEFT) GAMCO Investors Inc (...

Here are the stocks added to the Zacks #1 Rank ("strong buy") List today:

3M Co (MMM) AMCOL International Corp (ACO) Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM) Arena Resources Inc (ARD) Bell Microproducts Inc (BELM) Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc (BIO) BNP Paribas (BNPQY) Boston Beer Co Inc (SAM) Conmed Corp (CNMD) Crosstex Energy Inc (XTXI) Deutsche Bank AG (DB) Dover Corp (DOV) Dow Chemical Co (DOW) Eaton Corp (ETN) FBL Financial Group Inc (FFG) Fuel Systems Solutions Inc (FSYS) Genoptix Inc (GXDX) ...

Monro Muffler Brake Inc. (...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 7, 2009 – Four free stock picks are being made available today on Zacks.com. The industry’s leading independent research firm highlights one Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy or a Zacks #2 Rank Buy stock for each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum, and Value.

The four highlighted picks are: Cnooc Limited (CEO), Carlisle Companies Inc. (CSL), Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) and Odyssey Healthcare, Inc. (ODSY).      Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Four daily picks are offered free at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5607

Zacks #1 Rank Stocks have nearly tripled the S&P 500 since 1988, producing an average annual return of +26%. Performance has been notable even during volatile and down times. For example, during the last bear market, 2000-2002, the market tumbled -37.6% – but Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%.

Here is a

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Here are the stocks added to the Zacks #1 Rank ("strong buy") List today:

Aeropostale Inc (ARO) The AES Corp (AES) Anglo American Plc (AAUKY) Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp (BGFV) Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc (BIO) Brasil Telecom Participacoes SA (BRP) Bway Holding Co (BWY) Carmike Cinemas Inc (CKEC) Cognex Corp (CGNX) Computer Sciences Corp (CSC) Ctrip.com International Ltd (CTRP) DeVry Inc (DV) Discover Financial Services (DFS) Dolan Media Co (DM) Dow Chemical Co (DOW) Fossil Inc (FOSL) Gibraltar Industries Inc (ROCK) ...

Two Companies Profiting From the “Fuel of the Future”

by Louise Harris, Investment U Research

You don’t have to look far to find one of today’s big economic and market buzz phrases: Green investing.

From green clothing websites, to CNN headlines heralding biofuel, companies are trying their best to capitalize on growing consumer sensitivity to the environment.

However, like the dotcom era before it, some of the green craze is no more than a speculative bubble. But many of it is the real deal. And despite past debacles, biofuels fall into the latter category.

A Deal With Dow

Take start-up company Cavitation Technologies Inc. (OTC: CVAT), which develops equipment that turns vegetable products into viable fuel. Only established in 2006, it just entered into a long-term agreement with Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW)

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Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) completed the sale of its Netherlands-based crude oil refinery to Paris-based Total SA (TOT), one of the six major global oil companies, for about $800 million. The refinery is a key supplier of refined products, including diesel, to the European market. The move is in line with Dow’s strategy of divesting non-core assets. The deal received regulatory approval last month.

The Midlands, Michigan-based chemical company stated that the divestiture will increase its financial flexibility, improve cash flow and will help pay down debt. The company plans to use the proceeds from the deal to pay down debt, which was raised for the Rohm and Haas acquisition.

The Rohm and Haas acquisition increased Dow’s net debt from $8 billion to $22 billion in the first half of 2009. This resulted in a significant net cash deficit of $19 billion during the period. However, Dow Chemical has become

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The Energy Ministry is investigating ways of reducing taxes on undeveloped gas fields, having seen that even with high oil prices most projects would not be financially solvent.  Ukraine's energy company Naftogaz has said that to avoid the possibility of a gas suspension, European firms should consider buying Russian gas and storing it in Ukraine.  Russian gas exports to Europe via Ukraine fell 45.5% in January-May 2009, year-on-year.   The European Commission has cautioned Gazprom and Naftogaz to secure a long-term contract to maintain steady supplies of gas to Europe.  Sergei Lavrov has met with EU ambassadors and 'positively assessed Russian-EU cooperation' over this issue.  The FT reports that a lack of investment in modernizing the energy infrastructure of central and eastern Europe is an obstacle to guaranteeing upplies.  If oil rises to $90 a barrel next year ...

Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) said it would sell $6 billion senior unsecured notes to buy out preferred shares used for its recent acquisition of Rohm & Haas in a move that will reduce its debt burden significantly.

The Midland, Michigan-based company had borrowed $9.2 billion for the takeover last month and pledged to pay off the debt paid by the end of this year. The sale of debt securities includes $1.75 billion in 5-year notes, $3.25 billion in 10-year notes and a $1 billion 30-year bond issue.

The sale also helps Dow in saving substantially in dividend payments as perpetual preferred shareholders are entitled to about 15% in payouts. Shares of the company were up more than 6% to $16.77 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchnage.

"DOW" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?Zacks Investment Research