Brigham Exploration Company (BEXP) announced results for one of its wells in the Bakken Shale today, prompting a 7% gain in its share price and securing a spot on the Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers List.

< ?DART(15);?> In addition to this company-specific news, BEXP is also getting a hand from an improving outlook for oil stocks as oil prices have finally broken out of its trading range.

Brigham Exploration is an independent exploration, development and production company that utilizes advanced exploration, drilling and completion technologies to systematically explore for, develop and produce domestic onshore oil and natural gas reserves.

It's 1 of 3 companies from the Oil-U.S. Exploration & Production industry on today's Zacks #1 Rank List, which includes 215 stocks in total. The other 2 names are Linn Energy, LLC (LINE) and Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP).

Earnings estimates

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Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) continues to see higher Zacks Consensus Estimates for earnings. Forecasts are at $1.97 per share for the year ending February 2010, which is above last month's $1.90.

For the following year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.16 climbed last month's $1.91.

The second-quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate is at 39 cents, a penny above last month's projection.

Improved Fundamentals

The company's valuation, a forward P/E of 10.83, has become even more attractive than it was in mid-July, when Helen of Troy Limited was featured as a Value pick.

Read our July 15 commentary on HELE.

Last Week's Growth and Income Zacks Rank Buy Stocks

Dresser-Rand Group Inc. (DRC) recently posted second-quarter earnings of 74 cents per share, outpacing the year-prior 55 cents and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 28%. Read the full commentary on DRC.

Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (NWL) recently declared a quarterly dividend of 5 cents

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Linn Energy LLC’s (LINE) share price has entered into oversold territory with a stochastic value of 10.88. Analysts have been increasing their estimates on the Zacks #1 Rank (“Strong Buy") company's full-year earnings, with the consensus up 14 cents over the past month to $1.87 per share."LINE" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?Zacks Investment Research

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

3Com Corp (COMS) 51job Inc (JOBS) Actions Semiconductor Co Ltd (ACTS) Aeropostale Inc (ARO) Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (ABV) American Italian Pasta Co (AIPC) American States Water Co (AWR) Amkor Technology Inc (AMKR) Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp (ANH) Asbury Automotive Group Inc (ABG) Ashland Inc (ASH) Associated British Foods Plc (ASBFY) AudioCodes Ltd (AUDC) Baidu Inc (BIDU) Banco Santander SA (STD) Bank of Montreal (BMO) Barnes & ...

Lufkin Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUFK) announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a third quarter cash dividend of $0.25 per share on its common stock. The dividend will be paid on September 10, 2009, to shareholders of record on September 1, 2009.

Canadian Solar Inc. (”the Company”, “Canadian Solar” or “we”) (Nasdaq: CSIQ) today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2009 ended June 30, 2009 and its outlook for third quarter 2009 shipments.

LINN Energy, LLC (Nasdaq:LINE) announced today that it signed two definitive purchase agreements to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin located in West Texas and New Mexico for a combined contract price of $118 million, subject to closing conditions and purchase price adjustments.

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Today we are featuring top-performing "Global" equity mutual funds, which invest in equity securities of both U.S. and foreign companies.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Global Equity Funds.

3 Worldy Funds

Sierra Core Retirement A (SIRAX) seeks long-term total return. The fund also tries to protect capital by attempting to limit volatility and downside risk.

The fund invests primarily in a broadly diversified portfolio consisting of open-end and/or closed-end investment companies, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, collectively called Underlying Funds.

Unit holders have to make a minimum initial investment of $10,000 to enter this Zacks#1 Rank ("Strong Buy") fund. The fund has outperformed the total returns of its benchmark index in the last 1-year period.

Templeton Income A (TINCX) seeks to generate current income while maintaining prospects for capital appreciation

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

Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc (ACHN) Allied World Assurance Holdings Ltd (AWH) Altra Holdings Inc (AIMC) Ambassadors Group Inc (EPAX) AP Pharma Inc (APPA) Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc (AAWW) Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp (BGFV) Brink's Home Security Holdings Inc (CFL) Bway Holding Co (BWY) Cambrex Corp (CBM) Carrols Restaurant Group Inc (TAST) Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc (CRTX) Cubic Corp (CUB) DSP Group Inc (DSPG) DuPont Fabros Technology Inc (DFT) Electronic Arts Inc (ERTS) Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) Iconix Brand Group Inc (ICON) ICU Medical Inc (ICUI) Ikanos Communications Inc (IKAN) iPass Inc (IPAS) Kona Grill Inc (KONA) The Laclede Group Inc (LG) Linn Energy LLC (LINE) Macrovision Solutions Corp (MVSN) Meadowbrook Insurance ...

Monday December 29, 2008 Navivest

The shares of Linn Energy LLC (LINE), an independent oil and gas producer operating in the United States, which has seen its stock price fall from $21 back in September to a closing low of $11.20 on December 5th of this year, are getting a major boost after a favorable write-up in Barron’s latest issue.

With the decline in oil prices since the summer, the stock of Linn Energy LLC has fallen along with those of other energy companies. Another concern for investors is that Linn Energy, which is structured as a master limited partnership and pays out about 60% to 70% of its quarterly cash flow to its shareholders in tax-advantaged distributions, might have problems paying those dividends going forward, with the recent decline in energy prices.

But according to the Barron’s article, Linn has hedged its bottom line and “was able to lock

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

Aeropostale Inc (ARO) Atlas Pipeline Partners LP (APL) Axsys Technologies Inc (AXYS) Babcock & Brown Air Ltd (FLY) Badger Meter Inc (BMI) Basic Energy Services Inc (BAS) BlueLinx Holdings Inc (BXC) CARBO Ceramics Inc (CRR) Cyberonics Inc (CYBX) DHT Maritime Inc (DHT) Eisai Co Ltd (ESALY) Enbridge Energy Management LLC (EEQ) Encore Acquisition Co (EAC) First Cash Financial Services Inc (FCFS) Fluor Corp (FLR) GameStop Corp (GME) Gray Television Inc (GTN) GSC Investment Corp (GNV) Helmerich & Payne Inc (HP) Hewitt Associates Inc (HEW) Hoku Scientific Inc (HOKU) ICON plc (ICLR) Intrepid Potash Inc (IPI) Key Energy Services Inc (KEG) Kindred Healthcare Inc (KND) Landry's Restaurants Inc (LNY) Layne ...