Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

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Zacks All Star Analysts Portfolio Highlights: Hilton Hotels, PetSmart, QUALCOMM and Rowan Companies
March 15, 2006 06:00 AM US Eastern Timezone

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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2006--Zacks.com just released its latest additions and deletions to its proprietary All Star Analyst portfolio. Members on this exclusive list include Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT), PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETM), QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) and Rowan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RDC). View the entire list of stocks on the All Star Analyst portfolio at http://at.zacks.com/?id=510


This exclusive portfolio represents all stocks with a Strong Buy rating from at least four analysts with a 5-Star All Star ranking. These are the brokerage analysts whose stock recommendations proved to be the most profitable for investors. Since July 2002, this portfolio has generated an annualized return of 12.92%, exceeding the S&P 500 by a margin of more than 50%. Here is a synopsis of why these stocks are in the All Star Analysts Portfolio:

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) reported fourth quarter earnings per share of 22 cents, excluding items, which improved upon the year-earlier performance. The result also bettered the consensus by almost 16%. Total revenue advanced 3% to $1.083 billion from $1.054 billion in the same quarter of 2004. Furthermore, comparable owned hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) advanced 13.5% with double-digit RevPAR growth in almost all major markets. For 2006, Hilton Hotels said it is looking forward to a continuation of the strong business trends in 2005 and new worldwide growth opportunities stemming from its acquisition of Hilton International. The company is one of the All Stars' favorite names in the hotels industry.

PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETM) said business was strong throughout the fiscal fourth quarter. Excluding items, the company posted earnings of 47 cents per share on net sales of $1.05 billion. That earnings result improved year-over-year, while also beating the consensus by more than 2%. Net sales advanced from $934.3 million as same-store sales improved 4.5%. For fiscal 2005, non-GAAP earnings per share reached $1.17, compared to $1.03 in fiscal 2004, while net sales of $3.76 billion advanced from $3.36 billion. Same-store sales for the year grew 4.2%.

QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) now expects fiscal second quarter pro forma earnings of 40 cents to 41 cents per share, compared to the company's previous outlook of between 35 cents and 37 cents. That range was also above the consensus at the time. Revenues are now expected between $1.75 billion and $1.82 billion, instead of $1.63 billion to $1.73 billion as previously predicted. QUALCOMM said the estimate is based on the shipment of about 47 million to 48 million Mobile Station Modem chips during the quarter, compared to estimated shipments of about 44 million to 46 million. The company's prospects and raised guidance continue to keep QUALCOMM on the lists of several All Stars.

Rowan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RDC) is a major provider of international and domestic contract drilling services. During its fourth quarter report from earlier this month, Rowan Companies said its drilling and manufacturing businesses continue to reach new heights while its near-term outlook remains very favorable. For the quarter, the company posted earnings of 63 cents per share on revenues of $317.4 million. Not only did that earnings result mark a substantial year-over-year improvement, but it also topped the consensus by almost 19%. Revenues advanced from $190.7 million in the previous year's fourth quarter. One highlight for the quarter was an average Gulf of Mexico day rate that jumped 82% year-over-year.

Discover all the current All Star Analyst rankings and top analyst recommendations at http://at.zacks.com/?id=511

About Zacks All Star Analyst Survey

To learn which brokerage analysts are the best in their field and what stocks they're recommending today, see the Zacks All Star Analyst survey. This exclusive survey, created with Fortune Magazine, reveals the "Best-of-Breed" brokerage analysts. They are the select group of winners from the universe of brokerage analysts - the ones who consistently beat the street - the few you should be following now. Visit the Zacks All Star Survey to find the best analysts and their top stock recommendations at http://at.zacks.com/?id=512

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