Brooke/all, AMAT one of 26 stocks named to the 1999 S&P PowerPicks. The 1998 picks outperformed the S&P 500.
Jeff
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Standard & Poor's Equity Analysts Select 1999 PowerPicks Portfolio
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Story Filed: Thursday, January 07, 1999 09:38 AM EST
NEW YORK (Jan. 7) BUSINESS WIRE -Jan. 7, 1999--
1998 "PowerPicks" outperforms S&P 500 Portfolio identifies 26 top stock picks in various industries
Standard & Poor's Equity Research staff today announced its 1999 S&P "PowerPicks" portfolio containing 26 stocks that Standard & Poor's industry analysts call the "best of the best" of the more than 1,050 stocks they track. Results from last year's "PowerPicks" stock portfolio reaped 31.5 percent in total returns, Standard & Poor's said.
"PowerPicks" is a diversified portfolio with stocks selected from more than 100 industries listed in Standard & Poor's 11 defined economic sectors, which include health care, technology, consumer goods and energy. The portfolio was created in 1997 and is revised each year by the equity research staff of Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The 1999 "PowerPicks" include 14 large-cap issues with market capitalization above $5.0 billion, seven mid-cap issues of $1 billion to $4.99 billion and five small-cap issues under $1 billion. The stocks are equally weighted and the portfolio is "frozen," meaning that stocks will not be changed during 1999.
"The 1998 'PowerPicks' portfolio achieved above average returns and even out performed the S&P 500 index. This is particularly impressive since the S&P 500 had a better performance record in 1998 than more than 90 percent of all US equity funds," said Kenneth Shea, Vice President and Director of Standard & Poor's Equity Research. "The Standard & Poor's 'PowerPicks' portfolio is an excellent model portfolio for fund managers and individual investors," Shea added.
Few individual investors can afford to buy all of the more than 100 stocks we currently rank as 'strong buys'," said Arnold Kaufman, editor of Standard & Poor's newsletter, The Outlook. "'PowerPicks' allows an individual investor to create their own diversified mutual fund with stocks we consider the 'best of the best'," Kaufman said.
Standard & Poor's Equity Research department, which is staffed by more than 50 equity analysts, provides analytical information on more than 1, 050 stocks and provides a recommendation and ranking called the "STARS" or Standard & Poor's Stock Appreciation Ranking System. Standard & Poor's equity analysts conduct in-depth research of a company's operations and of the overall industry outlook. The STARS system ranks a stock's price appreciation potential over a six to 12-month horizon in a simple system: 5-STAR for strong buy, 4-STAR for accumulate, 3-STAR for hold, 2-STAR for avoid and 1-STAR for sell.
The "PowerPicks" represent the favorite stocks of Standard & Poor's 26 industry analysts, which include mostly 5-STAR and some 4-STAR stocks. The 1999 "PowerPicks" 5-STAR stocks include: America Online (AOL), Applied Materials (AMAT), Armco (AS), AT&T Corp. (T), Biogen Inc. (BGEN), Cablevision Systems (CVC), Cigna (CI), Cisco Systems (CSCO), CMS Energy (CMS), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Continental Airlines (CAI.B), EMC Corp. (EMC), Federal Home Loan (FRE), Health Mgmt. Assoc. (HMA), Impath Inc. (IMPH), Kroger Co. (KR), MBNA Corp. (KRB), Meritor Automotive (MRA), Saks Inc. (SKS), Solutia Inc. (SOI), Tyco International (TYC), Univision Communic. (UVN) and Zebra Technologies (ZBRA). Standard & Poor's analysts also selected a few 4-STAR stocks where 5-STAR were not available including: Apache Corp. (APA), Roper Industries (ROP) and Viacom Inc. (VIA.B).
More details about the Standard & Poor's 1999 "PowerPicks" portfolio is included in The Outlook, a Standard & Poor's newsletter or on Standard & Poor's Web site for consumers, personalwealth.com. To obtain a discounted subscription of The Outlook call 1-800-221-5277.
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