Chicago, IL – November 11, 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: TRW Automotive (TRW), Dish Network Corp. (DISH), TiVo Inc. (TIVO), DirecTV (DTV) and AT&T (T).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

TRW Posts Robust Profit

TRW Automotive (TRW) has revealed a staggering rise in profits to $76 million or 68 cents per share in the third quarter ended Oct. 2, 2009, from a net loss of $22 million or 22 cents per share in the prior-year quarter.

The profit was also significantly higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 14 cents per share. The Michigan-based manufacturer of advanced technology products and services for the automotive markets commended its restructuring and cost containment actions for its impressive rise in profit.

Operating income for the quarter went up to $165 million from $44 million in the prior-year period. Apart from restructuring and cost containment actions, this was driven by lower raw material prices and favorable non-recurring supplier and customer settlements.

During the quarter, TRW continued to reduce its salaried workforce by an additional 200 employees, which brings the total salaried reductions to about 3,000 since the commencement of programs last year.

Dish Network’s Q3 Disappoints

Satellite TV major Dish Network Corp.’s (DISH) third-quarter earnings slipped 12.3% on higher subscriber-related costs and litigation expenses associated with TiVo Inc. (TIVO). The company reported earnings of $80.6 million, or 18 cents per share, compared to $91.9 million, or 20 cents in the year-ago quarter and well behind the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 43 cents.

The Englewood, Colorado-based company said total revenue declined 1.5% to $2.89 billion, from $2.94 billion in the year-ago period. The decrease was caused by a 0.8% contraction in subscriber related revenue to $2.86 billion as average monthly revenue per subscriber (ARPU) reduced by $0.31 to $69.51.

The lower ARPU was the result of discounts on programming to new subscribers, retention efforts and reduced premium movie revenue, partially offset by price increases on popular programming packages, changes in the sales mix towards high-definition (HD) packages and advanced hardware offerings. Equipment sales and other revenue plunged 44.2% year over year to $23.4 million, due to lower sales of non-subsidized direct broadcast satellite (DBS) accessories and digital converter boxes.

Dish added 241,000 new subscribers during the quarter, while average monthly subscriber churn rate (turnover rate) decreased 45 basis points (bps) to 1.57%. The growth in subscribers was driven by sales and marketing promotions as well as improved churn. The company’s churn rate reduced due to the recent completion of the security access device replacement program and increased new subscriber commitment period.

However, growth in subscribers continued to be adversely affected by sluggish economic conditions, intense competition from rivals, such as DirecTV (DTV), fiber- and Internet-based pay TV operators and signal theft. Dish Network, which focuses on the lower-end of the market, was also affected by the termination of distribution relationship with AT&T (T) in January of this year.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

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Company Description

United Stationers distributes business products in the United States and Mexico from 65 distribution centers and 30,000 reseller customers.

The company provides over 100,000 items from 1,000 manufacturers, including technology products, traditional office products, janitorial and breakroom supplies, office furniture, and industrial supplies.

United Stationers distribution system allows it to ship overnight to customers in more than 90% of the United States and major cities in Mexico.

United Stationers Surprised by 45.26% in the Third Quarter

On Oct 29, United Stationers reported third quarter results and once again easily surprised on the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings per share were $1.38 compared with the Zacks Consensus of 95 cents per share. The consensus, however, was based on only 1 covering analyst.

Sales fell by 6.8% to $1.25 billion from $1.34 billion. The global recession continues to impact the company's bottom line but there are glimmers of light among various product segments.

The office products and furniture categories saw a slower rate of year-over-year decline compared with the second quarter. The janitorial/breakroom segment saw growth due to H1N1 concerns and more focus by customers on flu-related products.

The weakest segment was the industrial supplies segment which saw sales slow due to distributor destocking and continuing weakness in U.S. manufacturing, oil and gas pipeline and commercial construction spending.

Outlook for 2009

The company has been managing its business during the recession by reducing inventories. United Stationers said it saw some stabilization in its business during the third quarter but is worried about continuing declines in employment and weak manufacturing. However, October sales tracked about even with the year ago period.

Flu-related products continue to give sales a boost.

Zacks Consensus Estimates Rise

Given the fourth big beat in a row, the 1 analyst has moved to raise estimates on the fourth quarter and the full year.

The fourth quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate jumped 9 cents to 85 cents in the last 30 days.

The 2009 Zacks Consensus Estimate jumped 16% to $3.77 from $3.25 over the same period.

Value Fundamentals

United Stationers is a Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) stock. It is trading with a price-to-book of 1.82. The company also has a strong 5-year average return on equity (ROE) of 14.71%.

Zacks Investment Research

Company Description

Nu Skin Enterprises is a $1 billion direct selling company that markets and distributes premium quality personal care, nutrition and technology products through a global network of more than 750,000 active independent distributors and preferred customers. The company operates three core brands, Nu Skin, Pharmanex, and Big Planet.

The Nu Skin brand has a line of more than 100 premium skin treatment and other personal care products. With a team of more than 100 in-house scientists, Pharmanex uses a pharmaceutical approach that is setting the standard for the dietary supplement industry. Big Planet brings the benefits of technology to everyone with innovative products like Maxvault, a line of products that provide the easiest way to preserve, organize, share, and enjoy your photos and home movies.

Nu Skin Enterprises operates in 48 international markets across the Americas, the Asia Pacific region and Europe, with more than 75 percent of revenue coming from Asia.

A Record Quarter and Bullish Forecasts

The company recently posted record results for the third quarter. Earnings per share of 41 cents topped the previous year's 26 cents and matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenue was a record $334.2 million, an increase of 8% year-over-year.

Nu Skin boosted its annual earnings guidance to $1.38 to $1.40 per share. The company sees fourth-quarter earnings coming in 32 to 34 cents per share.

Analysts polled by Zacks are calling for 2009 earnings of $1.41 per share, a penny higher than last week and above last month's $1.28.

For the fourth quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents per share is up a penny from last week and 5 cents above last month's projection.

Outstanding Fundamentals

Nu Skin's return on equity (ROE) of 25% dwarfs the industry average of 6%. The company's net profit margin of 6% tops the industry average of 3%. Nu Skin pays an industry -leading dividend yield of 2%. Zacks Investment Research

Company Description

Tech Data distributes technology products for more than 125,000 IT providers in 20 countries including the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America. The company provides end user support to small and medium businesses, large companies and government agencies.

Tech Data Beats Big in the Second Quarter

On Aug 20, Tech Data reported second quarter results that surprised by 55.56% on the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings per share were 70 cents compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 45 cents. This was also better than the 42 cents per share reported in the second quarter of 2008.

Sales, however, continued to decline year over year, falling 15.9% to $5.2 billion form $6.2 billion. The stronger U.S. dollar negatively impacted sales by approximately 6% in the quarter. Sales declined in both the Americas and Europe due to a slowdown in tech spending because of the recession.

The company said that inventory management practices combined with sales execution enabled Tech Data to gain market share.

Third Quarter Sales Moderation

Tech Data expects third quarter net sales to decline year over year, as they have the previous quarters, but it projects some moderation in the decline compared to the first half of the year. The company sees some signs of stability in the Americas but believes demand in Europe may decline further.

Zacks Consensus Estimates Rise

Despite the continued decline in sales, covering analysts have gotten more optimistic in the last 30 days. The third quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate jumped 11 cents to 67 cents in the last month as all 8 analysts raised in that time period.

All of the covering analysts were equally as bullish on the full year, as the 2009 Zacks Consensus Estimate climbed 19.3% to $2.84 from $2.38 in the last 30 days. Analysts expect year over year earnings growth of 18.18%.

Value Fundamentals

Tech Data is a Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) stock. It has a price-to-book ratio of 1.07.

Zacks Investment Research

SCS is a designer and manufacturer of products used to create high-performance work environments. Its product portfolio includes furniture systems, seating, storage, desks, casegoods, interior architectural products, technology products and related products and services.

It is the only company from the Furniture industry on today's Zacks #1 Rank List, which includes 225 stocks.

Volume today is at nearly 260,000 shares, which is above the daily average of 257,000.

Earnings Estimates

There are currently 4 covering analysts for SCS, and one of them has revised higher for this fiscal year and next in the past 30 days.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the year ending February 2010 is 4 cents per share, up 300% from a penny per share a month earlier.

For the fiscal year ending February 2011, the Zacks Consensus Estimate rose a tamer 20% to 18 cents from 15 cents in 30 days. Though the end of next fiscal year is still a far way off, analysts currently expect year-over-year profit growth at as much as 350%.

Fiscal Second Quarter Coming Up

Fellow furniture company Herman Miller, Inc. (MLHR) will be reporting its fiscal first-quarter numbers after the bell, which is likely helping SCS' share price today.

Meanwhile, SCS will report its fiscal second-quarter numbers next week on Sep 24. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is currently at breakeven, where it's been for the past 2 months. However, three months ago, analysts were expecting a loss of 4 cents per share.

On Jun 23, SCS announced fiscal first quarter earnings per share of 2 cents, excluding items, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a 14-cent loss by nearly 115%.

Nevertheless, it was a very challenging quarter for the company as revenue slumped 33% to $545.6 million from $815.7 million.

As with many companies it was able to offset some of the challenging environment through a number of restructuring actions and costs controls. SCS also outlined some additional moves to help it achieve a modest operating income, excluding restructuring costs, for the full year.

Zacks Investment Research

Company Description

Diodes Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufacture and sells semiconductor products to semiconductor manufacturers in various industries worldwide. The company was founded in 1959 and has a market cap of $931 million.

Shares of DIOD have posted big gains over the last 5 months as economic stability has led investors to anticipate stronger demand for technology products. The company's second-quarter results, reported August 6, also gave its share price an extra boost.

Second-Quarter Results

Sales were up 33% from last year to $103.9 million. Earnings came in 6 cents per share, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate calling for a loss of 2 cents.

Diodes noted that its gross margin expanded during the quarter to 26% of revenue from 18.6% last year. The company also has a strong cash position with $429 million in cash and short-term investments.

Expenses Hold Steady

Also helping drive the company's strong quarterly profit, CEO Dr. Keh-Shew Lu noted that operating expenses were basically flat from last quarter.

Zacks Consensus Estimate Rising

Estimates have been steadily climbing for the last few months, with the current year up 17 cents to 5 cents per share. The next-year estimate is very bullish, projecting earnings of 82 cents.

Valaution

Based upon the bullish next-year estimate, this stock has a P/E multiple of 26X, a fairly steep premium to the overall market.

The Chart

Shares of DIOD are up big since bottoming out at $2.75 in November of last year, having recently topped off above $22. Take a look at the nice trend higher below.

Zacks Investment Research

Company Description

United Stationers distributes business products in the United States and Mexico from 67 distribution centers and 30,000 reseller customers.

The company provides over 100,000 items, including technology products, traditional office products, janitorial and breakroom supplies, office furniture, and industrial supplies. USTR is able to ship overnight to customers in more than 90% of the United States and major cities in Mexico.

United Stationers Surprised by 27.54% in the Second Quarter

On July 30, United Stationers reported second quarter results of 88 cents which easily beats the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 69 cents. However, it was below the year ago number of 91 cents per share.

Sales declined 7.4% to $1.16 billion compared with $1.25 billion in the year ago quarter. Not surprisingly, furniture, industrial, technology and traditional office supplies all declined due to the tough economic environment. The janitorial/breakroom segment, however, saw sales growth.

Cautious Outlook

Like many companies, United Stationers is seeing some improvement quarter over quarter. The company said July sales improved but were still down about 5%. The company is focusing on controlling costs.

Zacks Consensus Estimates Rise

There is only 1 analyst covering United Stationers but that analyst is optimistic about the third quarter and the full year.

The third quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate rose 14.5% to 95 cents from 83 cents in the last 2 months.

The 2009 Zacks Consensus Estimate jumped 36 cents to $3.24 in the prior 60 days.

Value Fundamentals

United Stationers is a Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) stock. It has a price-to-book of 1.77. The company has a solid 5-year return on equity (ROE) of 14.62%.

Zacks Investment Research

Chicago, IL - June 19, 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: Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Intel (INTC), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), and Dell (DELL).

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Here are highlights from Thursday's Analyst Blog:

Abercrombie Remains Focused

More consumers are trading down to cheaper alternatives on everything from food to staples to apparel, and many continue to avoid buying premium brands. In response, several retailers are lowering prices or shifting merchandise to capture sales from those customers seeking merchandise with lower price points

This environment has been especially difficult on Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) which is well-known for its premium fashion brands. The specialty retailer is routinely reporting monthly same-store sales in the -20% area. A big reason for the company's weak results is that management refuses to chase its competitors down the path of lower prices. Abercrombie remains committed to protecting its premium brands while it waits for industry conditions to improve.

Management has acknowledged that the recession could continue to hurt the retailer's results in the months ahead, but don't look for the retailer to change its pricing strategy. Instead, management plans to survive the difficult economic environment through expense management, seasonal clearance events, and a fewer new store openings. That strategy includes closing poor-performing stores such as its RUEHL stores, all of which are going to be closed by year end.

AMD Playing It "Smarter"

The "asset-smart strategy," as the formation of the new foundry company is referred to, is expected to enable Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to generate the much-needed volumes of its superior technology products and enjoy the benefits of operating a fabless model. Management focus will now be on developing innovative products.

This is a breather for the company, but a lot depends on execution, in our opinion. AMD is pitted against very strong players, and will have to spend heavily on R&D in order to compete effectively.

The company's pricing strategy necessitates maximum cost containment and efficient operation in order to generate profits. Although the ongoing inventory correction is heavily impacting profitability, the product mix continues to improve. Management stated that the 45nm server products made a mark in Q408, and most of the products shipped in Q1 were 45nm products. This means that AMD is just a step behind Intel (INTC), which completed the transition in the third quarter of 2008.

Management stated that it was on track to bring the AMD product company operating breakeven point to $1.3 billion by the end of the current quarter. The asset-smart strategy is expected to play a key role in this regard. There will also be a significant reduction in manufacturing headcount, as the corporate focus is now expected to shift to R&D and marketing.

AMD's focus on the fast-growing greater China market is paying dividends. The company's Chinese business has grown in leaps and bounds, with the total contribution increasing from 14.5% of sales in 2005 to 44.0% in 2008, an increase of 201.8%.

According to a survey by Gartner in 2007, AMD captured 28% of the Chinese computing market by the second quarter of 2007. The research firm reported AMD growth across desktops, notebooks and servers. According to the research firm IDC, AMD has secured a very strong position in the desktop segment, which comprises two-thirds of the regional PC market.

The company has also established relations with local leaders such as Lenovo and TCL, as well as global leaders such as Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) , Acer and Dell (DELL). According to analysts at IDC, this two-pronged strategy is clearly going as expected, because most of the OEMs are showing an increasing preference for AMD over Intel processors for products being shipped into China.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZacksInvestment

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Company Description

Nu Skin Enterprises is a $1 billion direct selling company that markets and distributes premium quality personal care, nutrition and technology products through a global network of more than 750,000 active independent distributors and preferred customers. The company operates three core brands, Nu Skin, Pharmanex, and Big Planet.

The Nu Skin brand has a line of more than 100 premium skin treatment and other personal care products. With a team of more than 100 in-house scientists, Pharmanex uses a pharmaceutical approach that is setting the standard for the dietary supplement industry. Big Planet brings the benefits of technology to everyone with innovative products like Maxvault, a line of products that provide the easiest way to preserve, organize, share, and enjoy your photos and home movies.

Nu Skin Enterprises operates in 48 international markets across the Americas, the Asia Pacific region and Europe, with more than 75 percent of revenue coming from Asia.

Solid Income

The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.115 per share, noting that it is payable on June 25 to shareholders of record on June 15. The company is yielding an industry-leading 3%.

Strong Earnings

Nu Skin posted first-quarter earnings of 28 cents per share, excluding an item. The result exceeded analysts' estimates by 17%.

Management said the company continues to produce growth in a difficult economic climate.

"Our personal care business generated solid revenue growth of 19 percent in the quarter, driven by the continued success of the Nu Skin Galvanic Spa System. In addition, our restructuring efforts over the past three years are increasing profitability, as demonstrated by a significant improvement in first-quarter operating margin when excluding restructuring charges," said Truman Hunt, president and chief executive officer.

Bullish Forecasts

The company sees second-quarter earnings ranging between 29 to 31 cents per share. For the year, Nu Skin's earnings guidance ranges between $1.12 and $1.20 per share. Brokerage analysts upped their second-quarter projections to 30 cents per share from the 2 months-ago level of 29 cents. Analysts' full-year forecasts of $1.17 per share are above the 2 months-ago level of $1.13.

Outstanding Fundamentals

Nu Skin's return on equity (ROE) of 22% dwarfs the industry average of 5%. The company's net profit margin of 5.1% tops the industry average of 1.4%. Zacks Investment Research

Company Description

Nu Skin Enterprises is a $1 billion direct selling company that markets and distributes premium quality personal care, nutrition and technology products through a global network of more than 750,000 active independent distributors and preferred customers. The company operates three core brands, Nu Skin, Pharmanex, and Big Planet.

The Nu Skin brand has a line of more than 100 premium skin treatment and other personal care products. With a team of more than 100 in-house scientists, Pharmanex uses a pharmaceutical approach that is setting the standard for the dietary supplement industry. Big Planet brings the benefits of technology to everyone with innovative products like Maxvault, a line of products that provide the easiest way to preserve, organize, share, and enjoy your photos and home movies.

Nu Skin Enterprises operates in 48 international markets across the Americas, the Asia Pacific region and Europe, with more than 75 percent of revenue coming from Asia.

A Solid Quarter

The company recently posted first-quarter earnings of 28 cents per share, excluding an item. The result exceeded analysts' estimates by 17%.

Management said the company continues to produce growth in a difficult economic climate.

"Our personal care business generated solid revenue growth of 19 percent in the quarter, driven by the continued success of the Nu Skin Galvanic Spa System. In addition, our restructuring efforts over the past three years are increasing profitability, as demonstrated by a significant improvement in first-quarter operating margin when excluding restructuring charges," said Truman Hunt, president and chief executive officer.

Upbeat Estimates

The company sees second-quarter earnings ranging between 29 to 31 cents per share. For the year, Nu Skin's earnings guidance ranges between $1.12 and $1.20 per share.

Brokerage analysts upped their second-quarter projections to 30 cents per share from last month's 29 cents. Analysts' full-year forecasts of $1.16 per share are above the previous month's $1.13.

Outstanding Fundamentals

Nu Skin's return on equity (ROE) of 22% dwarfs the industry average of 5%. The company's net profit margin of 5.1% tops the industry average of 1.4%. NUS also rewards shareholders with an industry-leading dividend yield of 3.4%. Zacks Investment Research

United Stationers Inc. (USTR) distributes business products in the United States and Mexico from 67 distribution centers and 30,000 reseller customers.

The company handles over 100,000 items, including technology products, traditional office products, janitorial and breakroom supplies, office furniture, and industrial supplies. USTR is able to ship overnight to customers in more than 90% of the United States and major cities in Mexico.

On Sep 2, USTR completed its acquisition of New Jersey-based distribution company Emco Distribution LLC for $15 million, which was funded under the company's existing credit agreement.

United Stationers Beat Wall Street Second Quarter Estimates by 6.67%

On July 31, USTR reported second quarter earnings that surprised on estimates by 6 cents per share. Earnings per share were 91 cents per share compared with 84 cents per share in the year ago period. Adjusted for items, EPS was 96 cents per share. Analysts expected 90 cents per share.

Sales jumped 9.7% to $1.25 billion. 7% of the growth came from ORS Nasco, which USTR acquired in Dec 2007. USTR said sales were also helped by the timing of the Easter holiday, which fell in the first quarter versus the second quarter the year before.

The company stated it saw a 14.4% increase in janitorial/breakroom sales and a modest increase in office products and technology. Furniture sales declined 8% in the quarter.

USTR Encouraged by Second Quarter Results

United Stationers said it saw July sales growth trends which were in line with the year-to-date June growth rate. The company is focused on cost controls and working capital management to maintain its growth projections for 2008. USTR does expect higher product cost inflation in the second half of the year based on previously announced supplier price increases.

Estimates Rise for the Third Quarter and the Full Year

USTR has only one covering analyst, but that analyst has been raising estimates for the third quarter and the full year in the last month. For the quarter, estimates rose 10 cents to $1.04 from 96 cents per share.

For the full year, estimates rose 16 cents to $3.96 from $3.80 per share.

Value Fundamentals

United Stationers is a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stock. It has a forward P/E of 11.63. USTR's price-to-book is 2.09. The company has a solid five year average return on equity (ROE) of 13.87%.

"USTR" Free Stock Analysis: Buy? Sell? Hold?
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