Zacks Buy List Highlights: Bucyrus International, Unilever plc, Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Targa Resources Partners LP

Business Wire,  May 21, 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 Bucyrus International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BUCY), Unilever plc (NYSE: UL), Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) and Targa Resources Partners LP (Nasdaq: NGLS).

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 - Bucyrus International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BUCY)

Bucyrus International is thriving despite a poor economic backdrop. Booming commodities markets and strong global growth are accounting for the success. Over the past four quarters, the company has posted an average surprise of 15.6%. During the past month, this year's earnings estimates have increased 40 cents to $5.52 per share.

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

Growth & Income - Unilever plc (NYSE: UL)

Unilever recently announced higher first-quarter earnings per share. In U.S. dollars, earnings of 68 cents per share were more than 20 cents higher than the year-prior result. The company has a solid ROE of 38%, which more than triples the industry average of 10%. In addition to enjoying stellar growth, UL is paying a dividend yield of 2.9%, which is well above the industry average. During the past two months, full-year 2008 analyst earnings estimates increased from $2.05 to $2.11 per share.

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

Momentum - Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY)

Occidental Petroleum Corp. reported awesome first-quarter results on Apr 24 in which its profit was up more than 50% from the same period last year, to $1.846 billion. On the heels of the great quarter, the company's stock price has been advancing, recently surging as high as $97 per share, a nice gain from the short-term low of $79 in early May.

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

Value - Targa Resources Partners LP (Nasdaq: NGLS)

Targa Resources Partners LP is riding surging commodity prices to bigger profits as natural gas prices move higher. The company has surprised on earnings three out of the last four quarters by 80.63%. Targa Resources has a forward P/E of 13.68.

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

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros http://at.zacks.com/?id=91

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