Zacks Sell List Highlights: Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Erie Indemnity Co., Berry Petroleum Co. and Aqua America, Inc.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zacks.com releases details on a group of stocks that are currently members of the exclusive Zacks #5 Rank List – Stocks to Sell Now. These stocks are currently rated as a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell): Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) and Erie Indemnity Co. (Nasdaq: ERIE). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: Berry Petroleum Co. (NYSE: BRY) and Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR). To see the full Zacks #5 Rank List - Stocks to Sell Now visit: http://at.zacks.com/?id=92

“Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices.”

Since inception in 1988, the S&P 500 has outperformed the Zacks #5 Rank List of Stocks to Sell Now by 80% annually (+2% vs. +10%). While the rest of Wall Street continued to tout stocks during the market declines of the last few years, Zacks told investors which stocks to sell or avoid.

Here is a synopsis of why CQB and ERIE have a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell) and should most likely be sold or avoided for the next one to three months. Note that a #5 Strong Sell rating is applied to 5% of all the stocks in the Zacks Rank universe:

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) posted a fourth-quarter loss of 51 cents per share on Feb 23, wider than analysts’ expectations of a loss of 28 cents. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year is pegged at a profit of $2.51 per share that declined 12 cents in the last 30 days as 2 out of 4 analysts cut forecasts. The following year’s estimate dropped 31 cents to a profit of $2.68 per share during that time.

Erie Indemnity Co. (Nasdaq: ERIE) announced a fourth-quarter profit of 39 cents per share on Feb 25 while analysts expected earnings of 48 cents. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full year decreased 13 cents to $2.66 per share over the past week as 1 out of 2 analysts reduced estimates. The current-quarter forecast slipped 14 cents to a profit of 50 cents per share in the same period.

Here is a synopsis of why BRY and WTR have a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) and should also most likely be sold or avoided for the next one to three months. Note that a #4 Sell rating is applied to 15% of all the stocks ranked by Zacks;

Berry Petroleum Co.’s (NYSE: BRY) fourth-quarter earnings per share of 32 cents, reported in February, came in a penny short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Total revenue slumped to $148.14 million from last year’s $153.67 million. The past week has seen downward revisions by 4 out of 6 analysts, bringing the full-year average forecast down by 28 cents to $1.92 per share.

Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) reported fourth-quarter earnings of 20 cents per share on Feb 24, which lagged analysts’ projections by a penny. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full year stands at 88 cents per share, which fell 3 cents over the past week reflecting cuts by 4 out of 10 analysts. Next year’s estimate also moved down 3 cents to 96 cents per share during that time span.

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” is available to provide this insightful background. Download a free copy now to prosper in the years to come at 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 +27%. 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 significantly underperformed the S&P 500 (-0.9% versus +9%). 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.

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