Zacks.com featured expert Kevin Matras highlights: American Express Company, Complete Production Services, Inc., NIC Inc., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. and GT Solar International, Inc. - Press Releases

Chicago, IL – November 9, 2010 - Stocks in this week's article include American Express Company AXP, Complete Production Services, Inc. CPX, NIC Inc. EGOV, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. EL and GT Solar International, Inc. SOLR. Kevin Matras explains why looking for stocks with upgraded broker ratings can upgrade your portfolio to a whole new level.

Screen of the Week written by Kevin Matras of Zacks Investment Research:

While nobody can perfectly predict a broker upgrade or guard against a downgrade, it's important to know how the market reacts to these things, so you can stay in your upgraded winners (or buy if you're on the fence) and consider getting out if a downgrade comes your way.

One thing I've been doing lately is screening for stocks that have recently seen a broker rating upgrade. Tests have proven that stocks with broker rating upgrades outperform those that don't get upgraded and really outperform stocks that get downgraded.

By how much?

I created three screens and ran some tests over the last 10 years. The tests pretty much confirmed what I had already suspected – but the magnitude was a lot larger than I thought.

The broker rating upgrades over the last 10 years showed an average annual return of 10.4%.

The ones with no rating change at all showed an average annual rerun of 6.1%.

And the stocks with broker rating downgrades actually showed a loss of -0.3%.

So the upgrades beat the ones with no rating change by nearly twice as much. And they outperformed those with downgrades even more. In fact, that was the difference between making money and losing money.

Below are 5 stocks that have all been upgraded within the last 4 weeks...

For the rest of this Screen of the Week article, please visit Zacks.com at: http://www.zacks.com/commentary/16196/

Sign up now for your free trial today and start picking better stocks immediately. And with the backtesting feature, you can test your ideas to see how you can improve your trading in both up markets and down markets. Don't wait for the market to get better before you decide to do better. Start learning how to be a better trader today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5529

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

About Screen of the Week

Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use. Each week, Zacks Profit from the Pros free email newsletter shares a new screening strategy. Learn more about it here http://at.zacks.com/?id=5530

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 http://at.zacks.com/?id=5531

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

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

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

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

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: Jim Giaquinto
Company: Zacks.com
Phone: 312-265-9268
Email: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/jlohmeier/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK37/pr@zacks.com
Visit: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/jlohmeier/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK37/www.Zacks.com

 
AMER EXPRESS CO (AXP): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
COMPLETE PRODUC (CPX): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
NIC INC (EGOV): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
ESTEE LAUDER (EL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
GT SOLAR INTL (SOLR): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Zacks Investment Research