Zacks Buy List Highlights: Sigma Designs, Corning Incorporated, Syngenta AG and Cimarex Energy Company

Business Wire, Feb 26, 2008

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com releases the latest list of Zacks Rank Buy Stocks. Every day on Zacks.com, four stock picks are made based on criteria for the each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum and Value. The four Zacks Rank Buy stocks highlighted today are Sigma Designs, Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGM), Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW), Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT) and Cimarex Energy Company (NYSE:XEC).

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of 32.2% 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 - Sigma Designs, Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGM)

Sigma Designs, Inc. has taken a beating recently, perhaps unfairly. A few analysts have downgraded their ratings lately, but the stock is looking attractive at these levels. It is trading at 15x this year's estimates, well below its long-term growth rate of 40%. Next year's earnings estimates have increased nine cents to $2.41 per share over the past month.

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

Growth & Income - Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW)

Corning Incorporated, a Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) company, recently reaffirmed its first-quarter guidance of sales in the range of $1.59 billion to $1.62 billion and earnings per share, excluding special items, of 41 cents to 43 cents. Analysts raised earnings estimates by seven cents, bringing them in line with the company's outlook. In early February, GLW declared a quarterly dividend of five cents per share. The company's dividend yield of 0.8% is above the industry average, and its ROE of 26% stomps the industry average of 4%.

Zacks Guide to Growth & Income Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4310.

Momentum - Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT)

Syngenta AG is another company that is cashing in on the incredible boom in the Agriculture markets. The company reported awesome six-month and full-year results on Feb 7, with full-year profits growing by almost 100% to $1.11 billion. The company also boosted its guidance in anticipation of continued strength in the ag markets.

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

Value - Cimarex Energy Company (NYSE:XEC)

Cimarex Energy is drilling its way to profits as crude hits record highs and natural gas prices soar. The company surprised on estimates in the fourth quarter by 30.51 percent and has beaten the last three quarters by 18.08 percent. Cimarex Energy has a P/E of only 12.32.

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

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." Since inception in 1988, #1 Rank stocks have generated an average annual return of 32.2%. 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 129% annually ( 5.3% vs. 12.1%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

The performance of the Zacks Rank portfolios for annual and year-to-date periods are the linked monthly total returns (price changes dividends) of equal weighted hypothetical portfolios, consisting of those stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank, assuming monthly rebalancing and zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios. The hypothetical portfolios were created at the beginning of each month from January 1988 forward based on the values of the Zacks Rank available to Zacks' clients before the beginning of each month. The portfolios created monthly from 1988 through September 2006 exclude ADRs and are comprised of stocks that have the indicated Zacks Rank and were covered by at least two analysts at the time of the stocks inclusion in the portfolio. Starting in October 2006 and going forward, the portfolios are comprised of all stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank and do not exclude ADRs, which is more reflective of the list of stocks that customers will find on the Zacks web sites. These performance numbers have been audited from 1995 through 2003 by Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP.

Performance information for other Zacks' portfolios and strategies is available at: http://www.zacks.com/performance.> Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter offers continuous coverage of Zacks Rank Buy stocks and highlights those stocks poised to outperform the market. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=90.