Zacks Sell List Highlights: Molex, CenturyLink, Blue Nile and Cephalon

CHICAGO, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- 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): Molex Incorporated (Nasdaq: MOLX) and CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: Blue Nile, Inc. (Nasdaq: NILE) and Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH).

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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 MOLX and CTL 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:

Molex Incorporated (Nasdaq: MOLX) announced fourth-quarter profit of 44 cents per share on August 3 that missed analysts' expectations by 4.35%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year slid to $1.82 per share from $1.85 per share in the last 30 days as next year's estimate dipped 1 cent per share to $2.09 per share in that time span.

CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) posted a second-quarter profit of 64 cents per share on August 3, which came in 2 cents wider than the average forecast. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full year fell to $1.70 per share from $1.74 per share over the past month. For 2012, analysts expect a profit of $1.74 per share, compared to last month's projection for a profit of $2.03 per share.  

Here is a synopsis of why NILE and CEPH 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;

Blue Nile, Inc. (Nasdaq: NILE) second-quarter profit of 19 cents per share, posted on August 4, lagged analysts' projections by 13.64%. Estimate for current year slid 2 cent per share to $1.02 per share over a month as next year's estimate dipped 4 cents per share to $1.14 per share in that time span.

Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) reported a second-quarter profit of $1.62 per share on August 2 that fell 22.12% short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The full-year average forecast is currently $8.18 per share, compared with last two month's projection of $8.34 per share. Next year's forecast dropped to $5.27 per share from $5.47 per share in the same period.

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 +28%. 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 (2.8% versus +9.7%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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