CHICAGO, July 8, 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): China Lodging Group, Ltd (Nasdaq: HTHT) and Collective Brands Inc. (NYSE: PSS). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: TreeHouse Foods Inc. (NYSE: THS) and The Boston Bear Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM). To see the full Zacks #5 Rank List - Stocks to Sell Now visit: http://at.zacks.com/?id=92

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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 HTHT and PSS 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:

China Lodging Group, Ltd (Nasdaq: HTHT) announced its first -quarter loss of 4 cents per share on May 10 that lagged analysts' expectations by 300%. Moreover the diluted earnings per share fell by 200% on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year slipped 5 cents per share to 0.44 cents in the last 60 days. Next year's estimate dipped 8 cents per share to 0.83 cents per share in that time span.

Collective Brands Inc. (NYSE: PSS) posted a first-quarter profit of 42 cents per share on May 24, which came in 40 cents wider than the average forecast. The diluted earnings per share fell 49% as compared to results of 2011. Net sales dipped by a percent on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2012 fell to a profit of $1.13 per share from $1.28 over the past month as 2 out of the 6 covering analysts slashed forecasts. Next year's forecasts slipped 11 cents to $1.54 cents per share in the same time span.

Here is a synopsis of why THS and SAM 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;

TreeHouse Foods Inc. (NYSE: THS) first-quarter profit of 0.59 cents per share, posted on May 5, lagged analysts' projections by nearly 11 %. For 2011, the Zacks Consensus Estimate moved down 16 cents in the last 30 days as 13 out of the 14 covering analysts cut back on forecasts. Forecast for next year slid 10 cents to $3.37 per share in the same time span.

The Boston Bear Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) reported a first-quarter profit of 28 cents per share on May 4, that fell 38% short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The full-year average forecast is currently pegged at $3.54 cents per share, compared with last 60 days projection of $3.59. Next year's forecast dropped 9 cents 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.

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

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About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Len Zacks. As a PhD from MIT 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

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