Zacks Buy List Highlights: J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc., Albemarle Corporation, CorVel Corporation and Arch Capital Group, Ltd

Business Wire, Dec 6, 2006

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com releases the latest list of Zacks Rank Buy Stocks. Everyday on Zacks.com, four stocks are selected based on how well they match the criteria for the four main schools of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum and Value. The four Zacks Rank Buy stocks highlighted today are J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (NYSE: JCP), Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), CorVel Corporation (Nasdaq: CRVL), and Arch Capital Group, Ltd. (Nasdaq: ACGL).

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of 31.8% since inception in 1988. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained 43.8% while the S&P 500 tumbled 37.6%. To see the full Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) List, or the rank for any other stock, visit: http://at.zacks.com/?id=88

Here is a synopsis of today's Zacks Rank Buy Stocks:

Aggressive Growth - J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (NYSE: JCP)

J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc. has done very well since it was first profiled in May 2006. JCP is up over 23% since then due to strong sales and earnings trends. A good case in point is the fact that the company has exceeded earnings estimates in nine consecutive quarters. Eight analysts have raised their earnings estimates for this year.

Growth & Income - Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB)

Albemarle Corporation, which was first presented as a Growth and Income pick on Jul 28, is up 44%. The company exceeded analysts' earnings expectations in nine out of the past 10 quarters by an average margin of 20.2%. Consensus estimates have been on the rise for this Zacks #1 Rank stock. The Board of Directors raised its quarterly cash dividend to 18 cents from 16.5 cents in mid August. ALB is currently yielding 1.0%.

Momentum - CorVel Corporation (Nasdaq: CRVL)

CorVel Corporation reported second-quarter fiscal 2007 earnings on Nov 8 at 51 cents, up 132% from last year and 34% above analysts' consensus estimates. This was CRVL's third straight positive earnings surprise. CorVel has been a featured Momentum Stock of the Day in each of the last four months and five times this year. There's good reason for such exposure since the stock has extreme momentum going for it.

Value - Arch Capital Group, Ltd. (Nasdaq: ACGL)

Zacks #1 Rank Arch Capital Group, Ltd. is up 10% since it was first highlighted as a Value pick on Sep 7. The company exceeded analysts' earnings expectations in 15 out of the past 16 quarters. Earnings per share are projected to grow 16% over the next 3-5 years. The industry is expected to grow at a 12% clip. The company has a price-to-book ratio of 1.5, compared to 4.8 for the market. Its PEG ratio currently sits at 0.47.

Truly taking advantage of the Zacks Rank requires the understanding of how it works. The free special report, "Zacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisions," provides an insightful background about this wealth-building tool. Download your free copy of the report now to prosper in the years to come by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=93.

About the Zacks Rank

Since 1988, the Zacks Rank has proven that "Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices." A $10,000 investment in the Zacks Rank list made in 1988 would now be worth $1.77 million - equivalent to a 31.8% annualized return! During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained 43.8%, while the S&P 500 tumbled 37.6%. Also note that the Zacks Rank system has just as many Strong Sell recommendations (Rank #5) as Strong Buy recommendations (Rank #1). Since 1988, Zacks Rank #5 stocks have underperformed the S&P 500 by 143.6% annually ( 4.8% vs. 11.8%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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