For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 25, 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: Citigroup Inc. (C), Intuit Inc. (INTU), ENI S.p.A (E), BP plc (BP) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Citi Expects Strong Economic Growth

Citigroup Inc. (C) forecasts strong economic growth in many countries in 2010. But although the company expects several countries to experience economic growth, it predicts that the growth will be somewhat uneven.

According to the annual report of Citi’s Investment

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Citigroup Inc. (C) forecasts strong economic growth in many countries in 2010. But although the company expects several countries to experience economic growth, it predicts that the growth will be somewhat uneven. According to the annual report of Citi’s Investment Research and Analysis group, though growth will be strong and even across major economies in the beginning of the year, it will be uneven later. Citi expects Asia, excluding Japan, to experience sustained economic growth. Though the U.S. is expected to see fairly strong economic growth, the recovery will be more gradual in Europe and Japan. Citi also upgraded its 2010 gross domestic product forecasts for the U.S., Japan, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Argentina, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Turkey. The report also suggested that Central Banks are unlikely to hike key interest rates through the next year. However, credit ...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — (Marketwire) — 11/11/09 — Wind Works Power Corp. (OTCBB: WWPW)(FRANKFURT: R5E1)(WKN: AOKE72) is pleased to announce that they have signed an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in Ecsed, a 50 megawatt wind energy project located in Hungary. In consideration for the 100% interest, Wind Works will make an initial cash payment of $125,000 on January 15, 2010 and a further cash payment of $375,000 on March 15, 2010.

“Ecsed is now our second wind energy project in Europe following the announcement on Monday that we signed an option to acquire a 100% interest in Honelles, a 10 megawatt wind energy project located in Belgium” commented Dr. Ingo Stuckmann, CEO and director of Wind Works.” Ecsed is an advanced stage project that adds significant value to our project portfolio. We will spend over $2 million in development costs over the next three years and create

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Canadian-based Wind Works Power Corp. announced today that they have signed an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in Ecsed, a 50 megawatt wind energy project in Hungary, for $500,000. This transaction followed on the heels of another announcement Monday in which the company announced they signed an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in Honelles, a 10 megawatt wind energy project in Belgium for $475,000.

The company plans to invest over $3 million dollars to develop these wind projects. Wind Works Power expects these projects to create investment opportunities in excess of $150 million which would be an outstanding return on the company’s investment. The company feels safe in making these investments into Europe since the European wind market is backed by government incentives, is well-established and secure, and should be solid additions to Wind Works’ portfolio of wind projects.

Wind Works Power has moved rapidly recently to expand

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AES Corporation’s (AES) adjusted EPS of 26 cents in the third quarter of fiscal 2009 was in line with the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate for the quarter. However, adjusted EPS for the quarter fell short by five cents compared to the year-ago EPS of 31 cents. The year-ago adjusted EPS had been boosted by 6 cents from currency transaction losses, 2 cents from incremental losses and a penny from mark-to-market losses. In comparison, the reported quarter’s EPS was affected by 3 cents from currency transaction gain and 2 cents from disposition losses. This was partially offset by 3 cents from mark-to-market losses.  In the reported quarter, consolidated revenue decreased $481 million year-over-year to $3.8 billion. Of the downside, $367 million was due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Brazilian real, which depreciated 13%. Also, lower commodity input prices translated into lower revenues at ...

After months of painstaking negotiations, GM has scrapped the Opel sale on the basis that it was 'no longer in the best interests of GM, now that the environment for car sales has started to improve', reports the Independent.  The decision comes just after Opel's labor force had agreed to contribute $390 million in annual savings.  'Management had planned a release saying that they will proceed with Magna, so there must have been a fundamental change of view within the board', the FT quotes an insider as saying.  The Russian government is planning to raise $1.87 billion to bail out ailing carmaker Avtovaz, most of which will be apparently allotted to bad debts, and some of which will be allocated to modernization and on job creation, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has reportedly announced.  Daimler Trucks will proceed ...

TODAY: Opposition activist torture claims; Miliband leaves with no breakthrough regarding diplomatic concerns; meets with rights activists; Putin and Medvedev popularity waning?; President in need of own power structure to realize reforms; Stalin resurrection an identity issue; Gorbachev on Russophobia; alcohol; jokes; artThe Other Russia reports that Konstantin Makarov, a member of the outlawed National Bolshevik Party, and organizer of an opposition rally planned for the 31st October in Voronezh, was detained and beaten by two policeman, one of whom was S. Yemkov of the notorious Interior Ministry's Center for Extremism Prevention.  According to Makarov, his torturers told him that he would face similar treatment after each rally held by the National Bolsheviks.  Foreign Minister Sergei ...

Earlier today, cigarette manufacturer and marketer Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) reported better-than-expected third-quarter results, benefiting from price increases in some markets. Earnings per share came in at 93 cents, 3 cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate. On a year-over-year basis, Philip Morris’ earnings per share was flat (excluding a tax benefit of 8 cents in 2008), while net revenues declined 4.6% to $16.6 billion, attributable to unfavorable currency translations and weak results in the European Union (EU), Eastern Europe and Middle East & Africa (EEMA) markets. Revenue, Volumes & Margins On an organic basis (excluding currency and acquisitions), revenues increased 4.1% driven by favorable pricing. Cigarette volume was down almost 3% year-over-year to 219.3 billion units, mainly because of declines in EU, EEMA and Asia. The first two regions were adversely affected by the economic crisis (especially in Spain and Ukraine) and unfavorable comparisons ...

By Cees Bruggemans, Chief Economist FNB

Evidence continues mounting that our economy has turned the corner in tandem with most overseas countries, if at a slower speed.

Our stock market has marched closely in lockstep with global markets, reaching its cyclical low last November, and revisiting this level last March, after which a 40% rise followed (less vigorous than elsewhere).

Our non-gold mining output reached its cyclical low in January 2009, electricity output bottomed in February, manufacturing output did so in April, all thereafter in a rising trend.

Nominal house prices appear to be rising from July and passenger car sales (per trading day) seem to be rising from August. Our exports as denominated in Dollars bottomed in January, thereafter also rising.

So recovery has been with us for some time, even if opinion surveys and other leading indicators took their time confirming this.

The SARB leading indicator reached

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Russia set a new monthly record for crude oil production in September, at 10 million barrels per day for the first time in a single month.  Naftogaz has not repaid its $500 million eurobond.   Russia will await the approval of the IAEA before enriching Iran's uranium stocks.  Ukraine's state pipeline operator has refused to supply crude to Lukoil's Odessa refinery, imperiling the future of the Russian company's operations there.  A unit of Gazprom has apparently begun the trading and marketing of natural gas in North America.  Uranium miner ARMZ is in talks with Canada's Cameco Corp on potential joint mining ventures in Australia and Africa.  Hungary's MOL has completed an emergency gas storage facility to operate in the event of a disruption in supplies.  Denmark's Dong Energy has apparently signed a contract with Gazprom to ...