Zacks Sell List Highlights: ArcelorMittal, Unit Corp, Amazon.com Inc and Cemex.

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): ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) and Unit Corp (NYSE: UNT). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Cemex (NYSE: CX). 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 — Stocks to Sell Now by 80% annually (+2% versus +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 MT and UNT 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:

ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) reported third-quarter earnings that missed the average forecast by nearly 4%, doubled production cuts and warned of lower profit in the last quarter of the year. The world's biggest steelmaker said its global output will decline by more than 30% and forecast fourth-quarter earnings slumping as much as 48% to $2.5 billion. The global economic crisis and falling demand from the US car industry is hurting steel prices. The consensus estimate for ArcelorMittal’s 2008 profit is down 2 cents in the last week to $10.34 per share.

Unit Corp (NYSE: UNT) missed its third-quarter consensus estimate, marred by recent hurricanes, and said it will close some production units to combat falling natural gas prices. The company’s quarterly net income was $92.3 million, or $1.96 per share, while analysts were looking for $1.98. The contract-drilling company now plans to drill 275 wells in 2009, down from its previous target of 300. The average full-year forecast is now pegged at $6.97 per share, down from $7 a month ago.

Here is a synopsis of why AMZN and CX 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;

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) lowered its fourth-quarter revenue forecast, on expectations of a poor holiday season. The company, which is being hurt due to its significant exposure to consumer electronics, now expects quarterly sales of $6 billion to $7 billion, down from $7.2 billion. Its low price strategy has historically caused concern about Amazon’s margins. As cash-strapped consumers slash e-commerce spending and the dollar gains strength against other currencies, the consensus estimate for 2008 has gone down by a penny to $1.39 in the last month.

Cemex (NYSE: CX) has been suffering due to the housing market downturn, currency fluctuations and an ongoing credit crisis. Last week, the Mexican cement giant forecast a sharp fall in its pre-tax earnings for the fourth quarter. Cemex sees its quarterly EBIDTA falling by about 27% to $800 million from the year-ago period, on a 23% drop in sales. The 2008 consensus estimate is down 11 cents to $1.57 per share. Cemex also faces the challenge of repaying a $6 billion debt by the end of next year.

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 underperformed the S&P 500 by 80% annually (+2% versus +10%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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