Zacks Sell List Highlights: California Water Service Group, Telefonos de Mexico, S.A., PepsiAmericas, Inc. and Boyd Gaming Corporation

CHICAGO, Nov 04, 2009 (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): California Water Service Group (NYSE: CWT) and Telefonos de Mexico, S.A.

(NYSE: TMX). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: PepsiAmericas, Inc. (NYSE: PAS) and Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD). To see the full Zacks #5 Rank List - Stocks to Sell Now visit: http://at.zacks.com/?id=92 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 CWT and TMX 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: California Water Service Group (NYSE: CWT) reported third-quarter earnings per share of 94 cents on Oct 28, 11 cents short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The full-year average forecast dropped to $1.99 per share from $2.10 in the last 7 days after 6 out of 8 analysts reduced expectations. Next year's estimate slipped to $2.11 per share from $2.17 in the same period.

Telefonos de Mexico, S.A. (NYSE: TMX) recorded a 61% year-over-year decline in third-quarter profit. On Oct 21, the company reported quarterly earnings 39 cents per share, 4 cents behind analysts' projections. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2009 is currently $1.66 per share, which declined by a couple of cents over the last month. Two analysts out of 8 cut back on estimates during that time.

Here is a synopsis of why PAS and BYD 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; PepsiAmericas, Inc. (NYSE: PAS) now sees full-year earnings of $1.83 to $1.87, down from its earlier projection of $1.87 to $1.94. The Zacks Consensus Estimate now stands at $1.86 per share. PepsiAmericas posted a third-quarter profit of 59 cents per share last month that missed analysts' expectations by 3 cents. The quarter saw a 15% fall in net sales to $1.13 billion.

Boyd Gaming Corporation's (NYSE: BYD) third-quarter earnings per share of 9 cents, reported on Oct 27, marked a 44% decrease on a year-over-year basis.

Earnings also missed analysts' projections by 18%. Net revenues fell 6.6% to $398.2 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year is down to 41 cents per share from 44 cents over the past week, which reflected reductions by 6 analysts out of 13.

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.

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=94 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 at http://at.zacks.com/?id=95 Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts 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.

SOURCE: Zacks.com CONTACT: Michael Vodicka Company: Zacks.com Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Visit: www.Zacks.com Copyright Business Wire 2009 -0- KEYWORD: United States

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