Zacks Buy List Highlights: Vulcan Materials Company, Cohen & Steers, Inc., International Securities Exchange Holdings, Inc. and Grant Prideco, Inc

Business Wire, Sept 21, 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 Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC), Cohen & Steers, Inc. (NYSE:CNS), International Securities Exchange Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ISE), and Grant Prideco, Inc. (NYSE:GRP).

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of 32.4% 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 - Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE:VMC)

Vulcan Materials Company has exceeded earnings estimates in two out of the past three quarters, with two analysts raising their estimates for this year. Over the past 60 days, this year's estimates have increased 10 cents to $4.74 per share, while next year's numbers have jumped 13 cents to $5.54 per share. The stock is attractively valued at 13.7x next year's estimates, well below the projected long-term growth rate of 25%, giving the stock a PEG ratio of 0.55.

Growth & Income - Cohen & Steers, Inc. (NYSE:CNS)

Cohen & Steers, Inc. surprised to the upside by 12.0% when it posted second-quarter earnings per share of 28 cents. Furthermore, this represented a 33.3% year-over-year improvement. Both the quarterly revenue and assets under management figures were records for the company. CNS recently launched two new open-end mutual funds. Consensus estimates for this quarter and for the full year of 2006 have been on the rise for this Zacks #1 Rank stock. The Board of Directors boosted its quarterly dividend by 18% in early August.

Momentum - International Securities Exchange Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ISE)

International Securities Exchange Holdings, Inc. delivered a 9% positive EPS surprise above analysts' expectations on Jul 27. The company reported EPS of 35 cents, compared with the 21 cents that it earned in the same period in 2005. By Friday, Sep 15, ISE made a move high of $44.06, the highest price since Mar 21. The $44 level was an important stopping point for rallies in Apr, Aug and now Sep. A breakthrough above $44 becomes critical for ISE.

Value - Grant Prideco, Inc. (NYSE:GRP)

Grant Prideco, Inc., which is a Zacks #1 Rank stock, beat the Street's earnings estimate for the past 11 quarters by an average margin of 16.5%. The company posted record second-quarter results in late July and upped its earnings per share guidance for the full year of 2006 as a result. Consensus estimates have been on the rise. GRP has a price-to-book ratio of 4.1, compared to 5.3 for the market. Its PEG ratio currently sits at 0.46.

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 $1.80 million - equivalent to a 32.4% 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 145.9% annually ( 4.7% vs. 11.6%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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