For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – July 22, 2015 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog includetheBarrick Gold (ABX), Kinross Gold (KGC), Agnico Eagle (AEM), Energy Fuels Inc. (UUUU) and Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. ( CLF). Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free. Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog: Forget Gold, Buy These Commodity Stocks Instead Gold prices fell off a cliff on Monday, sending bullion producers’ stocks into a tailspin. Prices for the yellow metal plummeted to its lowest level in more than five years as the U.S. dollar strengthened amid expectations of an interest rate hike. What Caused the Meltdown? Gold prices (for August delivery) on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex division fell around 2.2% to close at $1,106.80 per ounce on Monday after sliding to as low as $1,080 an ounce, the lowest since Mar 2010. NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index and Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index lost 12% and 10%, respectively, yesterday. Crashing gold prices also pulled down the share prices of gold mining stocks. Barrick Gold ( ABX) was among the stocks that saw their share prices head south along with gold prices. Bullion’s freefall led investors dump shares of these companies like hot potatoes. Barrick’s shares tanked nearly 16% Monday. Kinross Gold (KGC) and Agnico Eagle ( AEM) were also hit hard by the gold meltdown with shares tumbling nearly 13% and 10%, respectively, on that day. Bullion suffered a heavy beating as traders fret over the prospect of a hike in interest rate as a raft of strong economic data signal that the U.S. economy is gaining momentum. Fed Chair Janet Yellen recently told Congress that the Fed is on track to raise interest rates in 2015 for the first time in about nine years amid a recuperating U.S. economy. That coupled with a mightier greenback took the shine off the yellow metal, which is widely recognized as an inflation hedge. The dollar is gaining strength on the back of positive economic data, such as the improving job market and growing industrial activity. The sell-off was also triggered by lower-than-expected gold holding data from China, the biggest consumer of the metal. While China’s gold reserves jumped 57% from Apr 2009 to 53.32 million ounces at the end of Jun 2015, the rise was only half what the market had anticipated. Weakening demand in China also weighed on bullion. The sudden loss of lustre lured investors away from gold, leading to the heavy sell-off. The plunge in prices has dealt a severe blow to investor confidence for the shiny metal. The gold rout further hits the metals’ producers that are already reeling under a depressed pricing environment. Gold miners are trimming costs and shedding non-core assets to optimize their portfolio as they grapple with lower prices of the metal. Moreover, a steep fall in prices has led to multibillion dollar write-downs by these miners. Several of these gold producers are also saddled with significant debt. So, Monday’s price slump is expected to make life even more miserable for these producers. Amid this scenario, it is prudent to steer clear of the beleaguered gold space. However, not everything is looking glum in the commodity arena. Here, we have highlighted 2 such stocks that are worth considering amid the prevailing operating backdrop. Alternative Bets in the Commodity Space Energy Fuels Inc. (UUUU) Toronto, Canada-based Energy Fuels explores and develops uranium and vanadium properties in the U.S. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock has delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 59% over the trailing four quarters. The company is expected to witness earnings growth of 70.3% in 2015 and 113.8% in 2016. Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) Cliffs is the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America and a major supplier of metallurgical coal. The Ohio-based company sports a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has delivered positive earnings surprises in the trailing four quarters with an average beat of 271.18%. It has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 5%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >> About Zacks Equity Research Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term. Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today. Find out What is happening in the stock market today on zacks.com. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BARRICK GOLD CP (ABX): Free Stock Analysis Report KINROSS GOLD (KGC): Free Stock Analysis Report AGNICO EAGLE (AEM): Free Stock Analysis Report ENERGY FUELS (UUUU): Free Stock Analysis Report CLIFFS NATURAL (CLF): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
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