Zacks Releases Four ''Strong Buy'' or ''Buy'' Stocks: Parker Hannifin Corporation, Raytheon Co., Genco Shipping and Trading Ltd. and Metalico

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Four free stock picks are being made available today on Zacks.com. The industry’s leading independent research firm highlights a Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy stock or a Zacks #2 Rank Buy stock for each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum, and Value. Today’s four highlighted picks are: Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH), Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN), Genco Shipping and Trading Ltd. (NYSE: GNK) and Metalico, Inc. (AMEX: MEA).

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

Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buys have nearly tripled the S&P 500 since 1988, producing an average annual return of +31%. Performance has been notable even during volatile and down times. For example, during the last bear market, 2000-2002, the market tumbled -37.6% – but Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%.

To see the secret behind this performance, investors are invited to download the free special report, Zacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisions. http://at.zacks.com/?id=4422

Here is a summary of today’s Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy Stocks:

Aggressive Growth – Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH)

Parker Hannifin is benefiting from the strength of emerging markets. International growth led to the company beating estimates and raising its forecast. Over the past month, this year's earnings estimates have jumped 18 cents to $5.46 per share. Nine of the 12 covering analysts raised their estimates during this time period.

Zacks Guide to Aggressive Growth Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4423

Growth & Income – Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN)

Raytheon Co. recently announced first-quarter results, which included robust bookings of $6.5 billion and record backlog of $37.7 billion. First-quarter earnings per share of 93 cents beat the consensus estimate by 12% and outpaced the year-prior result. RTN's growth is also evidenced by ROE of 13%, which is in line with the industry average. The annual dividend was hiked by 10% from $1.02 per share to $1.12. The quarterly cash dividend of 28 cents per share currently translates into dividend yield of 1.7%, which is above the industry average of 0.1%.

Zacks Guide to Growth & Income Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4424

Momentum – Genco Shipping and Trading Ltd. (NYSE: GNK)

Genco Shipping and Trading Ltd. is enjoying the benefits of increased demand and strong pricing power, which helped the company produce excellent first quarter results in which both revenue and net income were up significantly. Estimates continue to rise, and the company's share price has responded accordingly, breaking out from just over $65 only two weeks ago and advancing to their current location of over $77.

Zacks Guide to Momentum Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4425

Value – Metalico, Inc. (AMEX: MEA)

Metalico, a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) company, reported a record quarter as scrap metal prices soar on strong demand. The company has surprised on earnings on average of 17.95% over the last four quarters. Metalico's forward P/E is 14.36.

Zacks Guide to Value Investing (free!): http://at.zacks.com/?id=4426

The Zacks Rank Discovery

Underlying the four free stock picks is a simple truth that first appeared in a Financial Analysts Journal article published in 1979. Leonard Zacks, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from M.I.T. found that "earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices." Zacks #1 Rank is awarded to a stock when analysts sharply upgrade their estimates of what the company will earn.

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Len Zacks. The company continually processes stock reports issued by 3,000 analysts from 150 brokerage firms. It monitors more than 200,000 earnings estimates, looking for changes.

Then, when changes are discovered, they’re applied to help assign more than 4,400 stocks into five Zacks Rank categories: #1 Strong Buy, #2 Buy, #3 Hold, #4 Sell, and #5 Strong Sell. This proprietary stock-picking system continues to outperform the market by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.

More Free Stock Picks

Each weekday, new Zacks #1 Rank stock picks are released on the free email newsletter, Profit from the Pros. Investors are invited to register for their free subscription at http://at.zacks.com/?id=4427

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

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