For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 20, 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: Toyota Motors (TM), Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PBR), ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM), Chevron Corp. (CVX) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A).

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Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Toyota’s 1st Sales Gain in 15 Months

Toyota Motors (TM) has posted its first year-over-year monthly sales gain across the globe in 15 months during October. The company’s sales rose 4% to more than 630,000 vehicles. In the U.S., the company’s sales fell 3.5%.

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Brazilian energy giant Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PBR), or Petrobras S.A. announced encouraging third quarter results, helped by strong performance from the Supply segment. Earnings per ADR came in at R$1.66 (96 cents), comfortably beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 80 cents. However, on a year-over-year basis, Petrobras’ earnings per ADR was down approximately 28.7%, hurt by lower prices of oil and natural gas. Still, they were better than the high double-digit earnings decline suffered by other majors such as ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM), Chevron Corp. (CVX), and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A).   Upstream   Total oil and gas production during the third quarter of 2009 reached 2,534 million oil-equivalent barrels per day, from 2,524 million in the previous quarter and 2,437 million in the same period of 2008. Compared to the third quarter of 2008, Brazilian oil and natural gas liquids production increased 4.8%, while ...

As the second-largest provider of electricity to the United States, Constellation Energy Group Inc. (NYSE: CEG) has a tremendous upside. At least, it would if the economy were growing strongly. 

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. And that means Constellation will have to clear a number of hurdles if it’s going to fulfill its long-term promise. Last year, the company bet big on higher energy prices and paid the price dearly when the economy collapsed.

Constellation’s very high level of debt, with large bond maturities in 2009 and 2012 at that time meant they were flirting with financial disaster.  That forced the company into a deal with Électricité de France SA (EDF), in which the European energy giant agreed to inject $4.5 billion into Constellation in exchange for almost 50% ownership of its nuclear plants.

That includes a brand new plant, Calvert Cliffs 3, that’s still subject

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Veritec Moves from Pink Sheets to OTC Bulletin Board

-Veritec, Inc. (OTCBB:VRTC), a pioneer and developer of proprietary two-dimensional matrix technology and developer of mobile banking debit card solutions, today September 4, 2009 announced that its common stock has begun trading on the OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB). Veritec’s common stock was previously quoted on the Pink Sheets.

“Veritec is very pleased to move from the Pink Sheets to the OTC Bulletin Board,” said Jeff Hattara, President and CEO of Veritec, Inc. “As reflected in our recent press releases, Veritec has had a number of significant commercial achievements in the last few months. We’ve taken this step to increase Veritec’s exposure to investors and improve liquidity in the trading of our common stock as part of our overall strategy to drive value for the company’s shareholders”.

About Veritec, Inc.

Veritec, Inc. is a pioneer and developer of proprietary two-dimensional matrix technology. The company’s portfolio

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 2, 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: PetroChina Company Ltd. (PTR), Sinopec (SNP), Total SA (TOT), CNOOC Ltd. (CEO) and Vodafone (VOD).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

PetroChina Sings 'O Canada'

Yesterday, PetroChina Company Ltd. (PTR), the largest integrated oil company in China, agreed to pay C$1.9 billion ($1.7 billion) to acquire a majority stake in two oil sands projects in western Canada.

As per the terms of the agreement with Athabasca Oil Sands Corp.

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Yesterday, PetroChina Company Ltd. (PTR), the largest integrated oil company in China, agreed to pay C$1.9 billion ($1.7 billion) to acquire a majority stake in two oil sands projects in western Canada. As per the terms of the agreement with Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. (a privately held Calgary-based group), the Chinese energy giant will purchase a 60% working interest in the Canadian company’s proposed MacKay River and the Dover ventures in northern Alberta. The deal, which awaits certain regulatory approvals, is currently the largest venture by China in Canadian oil sands. According to an independent third party evaluation, the oil sands that PetroChina plans to exploit are estimated to contain as many as five billion barrels of reserves, about half of Athabasca’s total recoverable resources. Peak production from the two sites is projected to reach 300,000 – 500,000 barrels per day, with first volumes expected in ...

Marathon Sells Offshore Angola Stake On Friday, July 17, integrated oil major Marathon Oil Corporation (MRO) announced the sale of its 20% interest in a block offshore Angola for $1.3 billion. A subsidiary of Marathon has reached an agreement with Chinese oil companies CNOOC Ltd. (CEO) and Sinopec (SNP). The transaction is expected to close by year-end 2009, subject to government and regulatory approvals. Per the deal, CNOOC and Sinopec will form a 50-50 venture to buy the stake in the subsea Angolan oilfield located some 150 kilometers off the country's coast in a water depth of 1400 to 2200 meters. Known as ‘Block 32,’ the 5,090-square-kilometer field has already yielded 12 successful exploration wells. Pursuant to the proposed sale, the Houston-based, fifth-largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the U.S. would retain a 10% interest in the enterprise of the 30% it ...

As if Gazprom - for better or for worse - weren't already enough of a national Russian treasure, Ria Novosti reports this week on what must be the most bizarre business move of the century.Lawmakers of Russia's southern Siberian Republic of Altai have resolved to name one of the mountains on its territory after the energy giant Gazprom, the republic's official web site said on Thursday.  The initiative to name the 3,412-meter-high mountain after the Russian energy giant was put forward by the region's head, Alexander Berdnikov."The request will be sent to Russia's main geodesy and cartography department," the website said.  Mountain climbers are expected to ascend the mountain, the highest in the Kurai range, ...

strongGuardian Unlimited /strongbr /br /strongJason Corcoran:/strong emRather than reversing Putin's policies, Medvedev has only hinted at reform. Time will tell if he can step out of the shadows/embr /br /Dmitry Medvedev was destined to be a lame duck leader when he was elected Russia's third president a year ago. His inauguration ushered in a ruling tandem with his mentor and predecessor Vladimir Putin seemingly shifting a gear to become prime minister. Putin, however, has so far done all of the steering while Medvedev has been along for the ride.br /br /Russians have not been duped, judging by the latest opinion poll by the respected Levada Centre, which indicate only 12% believe Medvedev wields real power. Another 34% believe it lies with Putin, while 50% believe it is shared between them.br /br /Buoyed by rising commodity prices, Putin's eight-year reign restored Russia's shattered economy, raised living standards for many and re-established ...

China Development Bank, one of China’s largest state-owned enterprises, has agreed to lend $10 billion to Brazil’s Petrobras (PBR) in exchange for a long-term supply of oil - the latest illustration of how Beijing is using the global downturn to further its domestic agenda.

Money Morning first reported in January, that China was building stakes in some of the world’s largest natural-resource companies, which have been made vulnerable by depressed commodities prices, tumbling profits and falling stock prices. In the scant few weeks since that Money Morning report was published, Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. (ADR: ACH), or Chinalco, has invested $19.5 billion in Australian/British mining giant Rio Tinto PLC (ADR: RTP), and China Minmetals Corp. acquired Australian zinc miner Oz Minerals Ltd.

China Development Bank has

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