Zacks Sell List Highlights: CRA International, Inc., AAR Corp., Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Kroger Co.

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): CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRAI) and AAR Corp. (NYSE: AIR). Further, Zacks announced #4 Rankings (Sell) on two other widely held stocks: Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD) and Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). 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 CRAI and AIR 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:

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRAI) posted a third quarter profit of 31 cents per share on Oct 1 that missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 34%. Weak performance at its financial consulting segment affected its quarterly results. The quarter saw a 20% decline in revenues to $89.3 million. The full-year average forecast slipped to $1.22 per share from $1.42 in the past week as 3 analysts out of 5 cut back on estimates.

AAR Corp.’s (NYSE: AIR) first-quarter earnings per share of 27 cents, reported on Sept 22, marked a 40% decrease on a year-over-year basis. The company’s quarterly revenues fell 5% to $341.5 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year is down to $1.48 per share from $1.65 over the past month. Three analysts out of 8 pulled back on projections during that time.

Here is a synopsis of why SFD and KR 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;

Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD) reported a first quarter loss of 56 cents per share on Sept 8, a penny wider than analysts’ expectations. Results were hurt due to the ongoing troubles in its hog-production division. Sales for the quarter declined to $2.72 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full year is currently pegged at a loss of 77 cents per share that widened from an estimated loss of 38 cents over the past two months.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) reduced its full-year profit outlook to a range of $1.90 to $2 per share, down from its prior view of $2 to $2.05 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate now stands at $1.95 per share, which dropped from a month-ago forecast of $2.05 as 9 out of 10 analysts lowered expectations. On Sept 15, Kroger posted a second quarter profit of 39 cents per share, 5 cents short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

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 +27%. 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 (-0.9% versus +9%). 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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