Since inception in 1988, the S&P 500 has outperformed the Zacks #5 Rank List – Stocks to Sell Now by 80% annually (+2% versus +10%). While the rest of Wall Street continued to tout stocks during the market declines of the last few years, Zacks told investors which stocks to sell or avoid.
Here is a synopsis of why FLO and SYUT have a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell) and should most likely be sold or avoided for the next one to three months. Note that a #5 Strong Sell rating is applied to 5% of all the stocks in the Zacks Rank universe:
Flowers Foods, Inc.?s (FLO) fourth-quarter earnings of 34 cents per share, reported earlier this month, came in 5 cents short of analysts? expectations. Flower Food?s full year sales decreased 1.0%. For 2011, the Zacks Consensus Estimate moved down 8 cents to a profit of $1.59 per share over the past month as 9 out of the 10 covering analysts cut back on projections. The following year?s forecast dropped 11 cents to $1.70 per share in the same period.
Synutra International, Inc. (SYUT) posted a third-quarter loss of 36 cents per share on Feb 3 in contrast to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of 20 cents. The full-year average forecast is pegged at a loss of 60 cents per share, which declined from a loss of 42 cents per share in the last 30 days. During that time, next year?s estimate slid 20 cents to 43 cents per share in the same time period.
Here is a synopsis of why GOLD and CRS have a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) and should also most likely be sold or avoided for the next one to three months. Note that a #4 Sell rating is applied to 15% of all the stocks ranked by Zacks;
Randgold Resources Ltd. (ADR)?s (GOLD) fourth-quarter earnings of 29 cents per share, announced on Feb 7 missed analyst?s expectations by 48%. For 2011the average forecast dipped 19 cents to $3.97 per share over the past month as 3 analysts out of 7 revised downwards. The forecast for 2012 has seen a decline of 9 cents which now stands at $5.56 per share in a span of a week.
Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS) reported second-quarter earnings per share of 21 cents on January 25, while analysts anticipated a profit of 24 cents. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year widened 12 cents to a profit of $1.26 per share in the last 30 days as 8 analysts out of 10 pulled back on expectations. Estimate for next year is pegged at a profit of $2.74 per share, 4 cents worse than a month-ago projection.
CARPENTER TECH (CRS): Free Stock Analysis Report
FLOWERS FOODS (FLO): Free Stock Analysis Report
RANDGOLD RSRCS (GOLD): Free Stock Analysis Report
SYNUTRA INTL (SYUT): Free Stock Analysis Report
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