For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 19, 2009 – Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This week’s list includes Eastman Chemical (EMN), E.I. DuPont (DD), T. Rowe Price (TROW), Western Digital (WDC) and SuperValu (SVU). 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.

This Week's Events

Third-quarter earnings season hits full stride this week with 439 companies confirmed to report. More than of a quarter of these are from the S&P 500 (135 companies).

Housing data will be the highlight on the economic calendar. The existing home sales data will be influenced by the first-time home buyers' credit. The starts and permits data could be more interesting, especially if they show fear on the part of builders about the subsidy

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The recent disclosure reports have revealed that lobbying is a frequent phenomenon with the chemical giants such as DuPont (DD) and Eastman Chemical (EMN). The second quarter report suggested that DuPont spent more than $1.2 million to lobby on biotechnology, trade, taxes and more. During April-June, the company also lobbied Congress, the White House and a number of federal agencies including the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense and Treasury on chemical plant security, patent reform, energy efficiency and climate change. On the other hand, Eastman, the Tennessee-based manufacturer of coatings and specialty plastics spent $270,000 lobbying the federal government on clean energy, antitrust and other issues. During April-June, the company also lobbied Congress and the Energy Department on legislation dealing with industrial gasification incentives, shareholder rights as well as antitrust and labor issues. The chemical industry is susceptible to environment-based litigation. This has prompted ...

US stocks started the holiday-shortened trading week on a positive note as energy, technology and industrial shares pulled equity markets higher.  Although stocks seesawed in early trading, a gain in oil prices buoyed sentiments on the Street and investors raced to put money in the stock market. 

The Down Jones industrial average advanced 91 points or 1.1% and the S&P 500 increased 0.9%.  NASDAQ edged up 0.3%.  Volume on the NYSE was light with only 1.07 billion shares exchanging hands and advancing issues outpacing declining stocks by a three-to-two margin.  The measure of market volatility, the CBOE Vix, retreated 2.2% to 25.35%, its lowest level since mid-September.  Treasury prices jumped, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year note declining to 3.48%.  Crude prices jumped to more than $71 per barrel on higher demand expectations and reports that Nigerian militants partly shut down an offshore oil facility.    

Trading

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - April 28, 2009 - Zacks Equity Research picks HCP, Inc. (HCP) as Bull of the Day and Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) as Bear of the Day. In addition, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research discuss the latest on GM (GM), Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC).

Full analysis of all these stocks is available at: http://at.zacks.com/?id=2678

Bull of the Day

HCP, Inc. (HCP) continues to raise cash through asset sales and equity issuance. The company has done a successful job of de-levering and strengthening the balance sheet. With nearly $1.4 billion available on its credit facility, the company has adequate capital to address 2009 and 2010 debt maturities.

We continue our Buy rating. HCP has a diversified asset base and is moving toward more private pay sources, which we view as a positive. HCP has increased its quarterly dividend from $0.455 per share

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Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) is engaged in the manufacture and sale of chemicals, plastics and fibers. Based in Kingsport, Tennessee, the company has 12 manufacturing sites in the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Eastman is witnessing rising raw material prices and a declining demand for its products. The company reported a 98% drop in earnings in the first quarter of 2009 driven by lower prices and volumes. Sales were considerably down in all the major segments.

Lack of free cash flow, PET capacity increases coupled with slowing growth, and PET industry overcapacity force us to rate the stock a Sell with a target of $24.50. Zacks Investment Research

March 14, 2009 - The markets got a reprieve this week, despite the fact that the negative economic data kept streaming in. The catalyst for stocks came from the financial services industry where Citigroup said it earned a profit in the first two months of 2009, and Bank of America was reportedly regaining some footing. As a result, the DJIA gained 9% on the week, the Nasdaq gained 10.6% and the Samp;P gained 10.7%. This is good news, but major concerns persist. Unemployment data continued to show that more Americans are losing jobs and expectations are that this trend will continue at least through the first half of 2009. A direct consequence of job losses is that consumer spending is going to continue to taper off. The US economy has come to be so dependent on consumer spending that this is going to have materially negative impact on GDP. To ...

Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) is engaged in the manufacture and sale of chemicals, plastics and fibers. The company has a strong fibers business and solid financials. It is likely to benefit from its recent focus on the industrial gasification business.However, Eastman Chemical is witnessing rising raw material prices and a declining demand for its products. The company will generate less distributable cash because capital expenditures will likely exceed depreciation. Capital spending increased to $431 million in the first 9 months of 2008 from $346 in the same period prior year.The lack of free cash flow, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) capacity increases coupled with slowing growth, and PET industry overcapacity force us to rate the stock a Hold with a target of $28. This is 5.8x our 2008 earnings estimate.Read the full analyst report on EMN "EMN" Free ...