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NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by TheFortuneFinancial.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Ridgewater Equity (RWE).

Although Jim Cramer likes some of things Sears Holdings (Nasdaq: SHLD) and Eddie Lampert are doing, Cramer is not ready to buy SHLD.

Cramer said don't look at how Sears is trading today and automatically think Sears reported bad quarterly results. He said several retailers reported great numbers and fell including: Ross Stores (NASDAQ: ROST), TJX (NYSE: TJX) and The Limited (NYSE: LTD)

Jim Cramer said Sears generated more cash than he thought, bought back more shares than Cramer expected and now SHLD has a much stronger balance sheet than Sears had last quarter.

Cramer was surprised to see the stock down, but he does say Eddie Lampert delivered. Although, Eddie delivered Cramer is still unwilling to shop at Sears stores. Cramer prefers to shop at Costco (Nasdaq: COST) or Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) because of the shopping experience versus heading over to Sears.

Will they pull out of the dive, or nose into the dirt?

Ah the Christmas season. The hustle the bustle the inevitable familial strife over whether everyone can afford exchanging gifts this year.While most folks are preparing for the holidays by weighing inexpensive presents against a three-year grudge courtesy of a brother-in-law with brand new earmuffs others are embroiled in a full-on war.I'm not speaking of the handful of conflicts that brave men and women are fighting overseas. This one takes place domestically each year and entails the petty family-oriented fanatics who treat their respective religions like scrappy but unlucky sports teams.Rejoice! "The War on Christmas" has returned and the first ...

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The Oracle takes aim at a retail giant.

BloggingStocks: The price at the cash register ticked higher in October, though it was driven by the cost at the pump and on the lot. Energy prices and new car sales (the highest in 28 years) pushed consumer prices upward in October, they're still cheaper than ... Read more

BloggingStocks: BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ), whose competitive colleagues include Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT), issued Q3 results earlier today. According to TheStreet.com, adjusted earnings of 45 cents per share met expectations. ... Read more

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 18, 2009 – Four free stock picks are being made available today on Zacks.com. The industry’s leading independent research firm highlights one Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy or a Zacks #2 Rank Buy stock for each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum, and Value.

The four highlighted picks are: Cantel Medical Corp (CMN), Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), China Green Agriculture, Inc. (CGA) and DryShips Inc. (DRYS).
    
Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Four daily picks are offered free at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5607

Zacks #1 Rank Stocks have nearly tripled the S&P 500 since 1988, producing an average annual return of +26%. Performance has been notable even during volatile and down times. For example, during the last bear market, 2000-2002, the market tumbled -37.6% – but Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%.

Here is a summary of today's selected stocks that are now highly rated by Zacks:          
       
Aggressive Growth – Cantel Medical Corp (CMN)
Cantel Medical Corp posted yet another earnings surprise with a 65% increase in net income.

Zacks Guide to Aggressive Growth Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4309

Growth & Income – Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
Costco Wholesale Corporation recently posted October net sales of $5.68 billion, a 7% increase over last year’s $5.30 billion. Comparable sales spiked 5% year-over-year.

Zacks Guide to Growth & Income Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4310
  
Momentum – China Green Agriculture, Inc. (CGA)
China Green Agriculture, Inc. is once again pressuring its 52-week high after jumping higher on a recent third-quarter earnings surprise.

Zacks Guide to Momentum Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4311

Value – DryShips Inc. (DRYS)
DryShips Inc. is now a Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) stock as estimates rise after a tough year where earnings per share dropped by 90%. The stock is now cheap, trading at just 6.6x forward earnings.

Zacks Guide to Value Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4312

How to Regularly Access Picks from the Zacks Rank Discovery for Free:  http://at.zacks.com/?id=5607
 
Underlying the four free stock picks is a simple truth that first appeared in a Financial Analysts Journal article published in 1979. Leonard Zacks, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from M.I.T. found that "earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices."  Zacks #1 Rank is awarded to a stock when analysts sharply upgrade their estimates of what the company will earn.

Today, Zacks is promoting its stock recommendations by offering four daily picks free to those who register at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5607 

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Len Zacks. The company continually processes stock reports issued by 3,000 analysts from 150 brokerage firms.  It monitors more than 200,000 earnings estimates, looking for changes.

Then, when changes are discovered, they’re applied to help assign more than 4,400 stocks into five Zacks Rank categories: #1 Strong Buy, #2 Buy, #3 Hold, #4 Sell, and #5 Strong Sell. This proprietary stock-picking system continues to outperform the market by a nearly 3-to-1 margin. 
  
More Free Stock Picks

Each weekday, new Zacks #1 Rank or Zacks #2 Rank stock picks are released on the free email newsletter, Profit from the Pros. Investors are invited to register for their free subscription at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5642

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.

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.

Zacks.com

Aggressive Growth Stocks:
Contact: Bill Wilton
Phone: 312-265-9277

or

Growth & Income Stocks:
Contact: Alex Kolb
Phone: 312-265-9149

or

Momentum Stocks:
Contact: Michael Vodicka
Phone: 312-265-9226

or

Value Stocks:
Contact: Tracey Ryniec
Phone: 312-265-9232

Email: pr@zacks.com
Visit: www.zacks.com

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

 

Zacks Investment Research

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) recently posted October net sales of $5.68 billion, a 7% increase over last year's $5.30 billion. Comparable sales spiked 5% year-over-year.

Company Description

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates an international chain of membership warehouses, mainly under the "Costco Wholesale" name. The company currently operates 562 warehouses, including 409 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 77 in Canada, 21 in the United Kingdom, 7 in Korea, 6 in Taiwan, 9 in Japan, 32 in Mexico and 1 in Australia. Costco also operates Costco Online at www.costco.com and at www.costco.ca in Canada. The company plans to open an additional five new warehouses (including the relocation of one warehouse to a larger and better-located facility), prior to the end of calendar 2009.

Recent Events

In recent news, it was reported that Costco will stop carrying Coke products due to a dispute over prices as the retail giant is trying to win over customers with low prices, while Coca-Cola Co. (KO) is working hard to maintain profits amid a recessionary environment.

Solid Sales

Costco recently posted October net sales of $5.68 billion, a 7% increase over last year's $5.30 billion. Comparable sales spiked 5% year-over-year.

Competitive Income

In early October, the company declared a quarterly dividend of 18 cents per share, which was paid out on November 6. The dividend translates into an industry-leading yield of 1.2%.

Bullish Forecasts

Analysts polled by Zacks are upbeat on earnings. For the fiscal year ending August 2010, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.87 per share was increased from $2.71 over the past 60 days. For the following year, Zacks analysts are calling for $3.22 per share, up from the 2 months-ago level of $3.00.

Zacks Investment Research

Schaeffer's analyst Morgan Searcy takes a look at news on the Street before the market open.

Schaeffer's analyst Morgan Searcy takes a look at news on the Street before the market open.

Schaeffer's analyst Morgan Searcy takes a look at news on the Street before the market open.

Two Veteran Wall Street Analysts discuss: (Val:) ANF, COH, TLB; (Val:) TIF, WWW, COST

Schaeffer's analyst Morgan Searcy takes a look at news on the Street before the market open.