Zacks Buy List Highlights: PDL BioPharma, CA, Inc., Compass Minerals International and Fresh Del Monte Produce

Business Wire,  March 4, 2008  

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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 PDL BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDLI), CA, Inc. (NYSE: CA), Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP) and Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. (NYSE: FDP).

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 - PDL BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDLI)

PDL BioPharma has been selling off assets with a vengeance, leading many to believe it is only a matter of time before the whole company gets bought. It would be a good fit to a bigger company. It has an impressive ROE of 14%, head and shoulders above the industry average which is in negative territory. It's price/sales ratio of about 4x is also reasonable.

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

Growth & Income - CA, Inc. (NYSE: CA)

CA, Inc. is a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) company that offers both growth and income. The company's ROE of 17% exceeds the industry average of 10%. CA recently declared a regular, quarterly cash dividend of four cents per share. The company's dividend yield of 0.7% is a competitive one within its industry as the software space is not one that normally offers a lot of dividends. In late January, CA reported fiscal third-quarter non-GAAP earnings of 36 cents per share, eclipsing last year's 24 cents and surpassing the consensus estimate by a healthy 44%.

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

Momentum - Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP)

Compass Minerals International reported an awesome quarter on Feb 11 in which revenue more than doubled from the previous year and net income almost posting the same increase. Sales in its fertilizer division were robust, with sulfate and potash revenue up 35%. The company was bullish on its 2008 forecast, saying that it expects strong demand and lowered costs of capital to drive income.

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

Value - Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. (NYSE: FDP)

Fresh Del Monte Produce is turning increasing worldwide demand for fresh fruit and vegetables into profits. The company surprised on fourth-quarter estimates by 65.85%. With a P/E of only 10.60, FDP is also an attractive value play in the agriculture sector.

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.

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

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.

About Zacks

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