Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Anglo American Plc., URS Corp., CBS Corp., Companhia Siderurgica Nacional and Double Eagle Petroleum Co

Business Wire, August 27, 2008

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Anglo American Plc. (Nasdaq: AAUK), URS Corp. (NYSE: URS), CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS), Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (NYSE: SID) and Double Eagle Petroleum Co. (Nasdaq: DBLE).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday's Analyst Blog:

Anglo American Feeling Slowdown

We are maintaining a Hold recommendation on Anglo American Plc. (Nasdaq: AAUK) after the company's first half results. The company is benefiting from strong demand for commodities around the globe and increased production. However, risks to global economic growth remain, and as inflation moderates the need to hedge against it using commodity stocks is less attractive.

The management is confident that commodity prices will remain strong this year and ruled out a slowdown in demand from China. We are also pleased by the company's restructuring program in which involves Anglo's gold, steel and paper manufacturing divisions. The stock is trading at 11.5x our 2008 EPS estimate, a multiple similar to that of its closest peers. We therefore maintain our Hold recommendation and our six-month target price is $28.

URS Corp. Upgraded to a Buy

Of URS Corp.'s (NYSE:URS) current $17.9 billion backlog, 7.8% is Power, 14% is Infrastructure, 58.1% is Federal and 20.1% is Industrial/Commercial. At this point, the Power sector probably has the best outlook, as the switch appears to be on from coal-fired and oil-fired plants to gas-fired and nuclear-powered plants.

Infrastructure is increasingly being financed through bond issues, which should be a positive. While Federal will remain an unknown until after the election, Industrial/Commercial could be problematic, given the current economic environment. URS continues to make bolt-on acquisitions, and Zacks has upgraded URS from a Hold to a Buy.

CBS Ad Revenue Struggles

Mired in a secular and cyclical slowdown, we think CBS Corp.'s (NYSE: CBS) revenue and earnings will trough in late 2009 on lower comps, cost cutting, and the elimination of more than one-third of its poorest-performing mid-market radio stations. Longer term, we think CBS' recent string of divestitures will strengthen operations as the company rationalizes its portfolio with better margin and higher growth businesses.

The company is looking to offset the secular radio slowdown by creating and acquiring higher-growth, higher-margin businesses in three key areas: Interactive, Content, and Outdoor. At current valuations, we expect the stock to generate total shareholder returns in line with the market as dividends supplement our expectations of flat-to-low-single digit capital appreciation (the stock currently yields a generous 6.6%).

SID Shares Strong as Steel

We are keeping our Buy recommendation on Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (NYSE: SID). We are encouraged by the company's solid first half of 2008 results. SID's sales for the second quarter of 2008 were R$3,555 million (US$2,155 million) from R$3,030 million in the previous quarter and R$2,975 million one year ago, or 19.5% up year-over-year in Brazilian reals.

The economic environment in Brazil remains encouraging despite the Central Bank's continued interest rate hikes. Moreover, the demand for steel and iron ore from China is still strong, and the Casa de Pedra project is on track. The possibility of an IPO of Casa de Pedra in the following quarters is also very encouraging.

Double Eagle Set to Soar

Double Eagle Petroleum Co. (Nasdaq: DBLE) has not enjoyed the stock price appreciation that most of players in the exploration and production (E&P) space have enjoyed year to date. Yet, our Buy recommendation remains unchanged and we have increased our target price from $24 to $25 per share.

Double Eagle Petroleum reported second quarter '08 earnings of $0.26 per share compared to a net loss of $0.06 per share in the year-earlier quarter and earnings of $0.10 per share in the previous quarter. Second quarter results came in above our earnings estimate of $0.12 per share.

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