For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 13, 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: Royal Philips Electronics (PHG), Sony Corporation (SNE), General Electric Company (GE), Panasonic Corporation (PC) and Nucor Corporation (NUE).

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Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Philips Misses Zacks Consensus

Royal Philips Electronics (PHG) reported earnings of 27 cents per share for the third quarter of 2009, below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 38 cents.

Sales amounted to $8.04 billion, a decline of 11% on both nominal and comparable bases.

Healthcare

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U.S.’s largest recycler of steel scrap, Nucor Corporation (NUE), has announced its guidance for its third quarter ending Oct. 3, 2009. Nucor expects losses of 15 cents to 20 cents per share in the quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate expects a loss of 15 cents. Helped by increased sales volumes, Nucor posted a second quarter loss narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Net loss in the quarter was $133.3 million or 43 cents per diluted share. This was against a net loss of $189.6 million or 60 cents per diluted share in the prior quarter of 2009, an improvement of 30%. However, the results are dismal compared to net income of $580.8 million or $1.94 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2008. This was attributed to a fall in both pricing and sales volume. The company suffers from continued low operating rates and the ...

The CRB Index: What Commodities Can Tell Investors About Stocks

by Dr. Scott Brown, Advisory Panelist

In 1933 and 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was doing the same thing Obama is working to do today – reduce the corruption in our capital markets by increasing transparency and regulation.

Most investors know that the SEC and our key securities laws were enacted in those years…

Few know that in 1934, at the request of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Bureau of Labor Statistics began the computation of a daily commodity price index, using quotations for sensitive commodities.

The Commodities Research Bureau Index (the CRB Index) let’s you see what the commodity markets are doing, just like the S&P 500 does for stocks.

For many investors who focus on stocks, the thought of following a commodities index doesn’t intrigue. And it’s unfortunate…

The CRB Index – Very Different From the S&P 500

The CRB

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Nucor Corporation (NUE) is the nation's largest recycler of steel scrap. Long-term contracts, constant cost-reduction efforts, higher steel prices, lower interest rates, strong cash flow position and a dominant acquisition strategy inspire our optimism with respect to the stock's performance in the coming quarters. The company's third-quarter 2008 profit nearly doubled, mainly because of robust sales from recently acquired steel and scrap-metal companies.However, the company expects a 40% decline in steel shipments for the fourth quarter of 2008, which will result in lower earnings. A slowdown in steel demand from the automobile sector and increased production in China are matters of concern.Rising prices of raw materials such as scrap and natural gas are serious issues facing the company. Thus, we maintain our Hold rating.Read the full analyst report on NUE "NUE" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? ...

History of Zinc (from International Zinc Association, (http://www.iza.com/uses.html) Centuries before zinc was discovered in the metallic form, its ores were used for making brass and zinc compounds, its ores were used for healing wounds and sore eyes. It is believed that the Romans first made brass in the time of Augustus (20 B.C. - 14 A.D.). In the 13th century Marco Polo described the manufacture of zinc oxide in Persia. At Zawar, India, both zinc metal and zinc oxide were produced from the 12th to the 16th century. From India, zinc manufacturing moved to China in the 17th century where it developed as an industry to supply the needs of the brass industry. In 1743, the first European zinc smelter was established in Bristol in the United Kingdom. A major technological improvement was achieved in Germany which led to the erection of ...

Long-term steel contracts, constant cost-reduction efforts, higher steel prices, lower interest rates, strong cash flow position and a dominant acquisition strategy inspire our optimism with respect to the nation’s largest recycler of steel scrap Nucor Corp.’s (NUE) performance in the coming quarters. However, a slowdown in steel demand from the automobile sector and increased production in China are matters of concern. Thus, we rate the stock a Hold and raise our six-month target price to $55.00.

Nearly 55% of Nucor’s steel sheet volumes are under long-term price contracts, which will provide the company a cushion against higher raw material costs. It had been able to successfully pass on higher raw material costs through a mechanism of steel surcharges, which helped the company maintain or even improve its operating margins. Going forward, we believe long-term price contracts will help Nucor to maintain its near-term profitability.

Nucor’s Castrip technology will structurally lower its

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There are a variety of media reports this weekend exploring the issue of thieves who are absconding with beer kegs and taking them to scrap metal yards where they can receive upwards of $50 for an empty keg. One report discussed how some manhole covers have even disappeared.