All Star Analysts Portfolio: American Eagle Outfitters, Biovail, Dell and Valero Energy.Business Editors CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 2003 Zacks.com just released it's latest additions and deletions to the coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. All Star Analyst portfolio. This exclusive portfolio represents all stocks with a Strong Buy rating from at least five analysts with a 5 Star All Star ranking. These are the brokerage analysts whose stock recommendations proved to be the most profitable for investors. Two New members of this portfolio are: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :AEOS AEOS American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (stock symbol) AEOS Advanced Electro-Optical System (3.67 meter adaptive optical telescope on Maui) AEOS Advanced Electro Optical Sensor ) and Valero Energy Corporation Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) is a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio, Texas with 21,836 employees and annual revenue of more than $90 billion. The company owns and operates 17 refineries throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean with a combined (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :VLO VLO Valero Energy (stock symbol) VLO Very Low Observable VLO Landing Gear Operation Speed (aviation) VLO Ventro-lateral orbital (area of the brain) ) while two current members of this portfolio are: Biovail Corporation (NYSE:BVF BVF Biovail Corporation (stock symbol) BVF Berufsverband der Frauenärzte eV (Muenchen, Germany) BVF Bearing Versus Frequency ), and Dell Computer Corp. (NASDAQ:DELL). View the entire list of stocks on the All Star Analyst portfolio at http://asaportfolio.zacks.com Here is a synopsis of why these stocks are on the All Star Analysts Portfolio: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEOS) is a specialty retailer of casual apparel, accessories, and footwear for young men and women. Earlier this month, AEOS announced that total sales for the four-week period ended May 31, 2003 increased +12.2% to $97.6 million, compared to $87.0 million for the four-week period ended June 1, 2002. Comparable store sales for the American Eagle Outfitters stores increased by +1.1% for the May period. Although the first quarter numbers were a bit of a disappointment, many All Star analysts believe that those numbers could be attributed to unusually cold winter weather, the war in Iraq, and slumping consumer confidence. However, things look to be headed in the right direction for the second half of 2003 and several analysts are beginning to recommend specialty retailers like AEOS. The company also announced that it is comfortable with the current consensus estimate of 9 cents per share Cents per share The amount of a mutual fund's dividend or capital gains distributions that a shareholder will receive for each share owned. . With better numbers, several top analysts are sold on AEOS and investors looking to buy retail stocks may want to shop American Eagle. Biovail Corporation (NYSE:BVF) is a full-service pharmaceutical company that applies its proprietary drug delivery technologies in developing "oral controlled-release" products throughout North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . Back in April, BVF announced record financial results for the three-month period ending March 31, 2003 to the delight of analysts. Total revenues for the first quarter increased +23% to $191.4 million, compared to $155.2 million reported for the first quarter of 2002. First quarter 2003 diluted earnings per share diluted earnings per share An earnings measure calculated by dividing net income less preferred stock dividends for a period by the average number of shares of common stock that would be outstanding if all convertible securities were converted into shares of increased +22% to 39 cents per share versus 32 cents per share for the first quarter 2002. The company continues to find success in studies and looks to have a very healthy pipeline of products. Several top All Star analysts are recommending BVF based on solid financials and its deep pipeline of products. Investors looking to get back into pharmaceuticals may want to write their own prescription for BVF. Dell Computer Corp. (NASDAQ:DELL) is a leading computer manufacturer. Top All Star analysts feel the need, the need for speed and Dell has delivered. The 3GHz-speed barrier was broken for notebooks with the introduction of the Inspiron 5150 to customers worldwide. The Inspiron 5150 is powered by the new Mobile Intel (NYSE:INTC INTC Intel (NASDAQ symbol) INTC Intercept INTC Interrupt Controller ) Pentium 4 processor at 3.06 GHz(b). This new notebook will deliver power and value, which are exactly the two qualities DELL users require. On the financial side, Dell reported its best-ever fiscal first-quarter operating results. The company said second-quarter increases should also be strong. Worldwide shipments in the quarter were up +29% from a year ago; whereas volumes for the rest of the industry declined an average of -1%. Dell also accounted for almost one-third of U.S. server volumes, and has led the category for more than two years. These very impressive numbers in a very tough environment make Dell a top pick for several All Star analysts even though they are near their 52-week high with a PE around 37. Obviously top analysts still believe there is room to grow now that the economy looks to be getting the jump-start it needs. Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) is involved in the refining and marketing of premium, environmentally clean products such as reformulated gasoline, low-sulfur diesel and oxygenates. In April, Valero reported net income of $170.4 million, or $1.51 per share, for the first quarter of 2003. This compared to a net loss of $38.6 million, or 37 cents per share, for the same period last year. Operating income Operating Income The profit realized from a business' own operations. Notes: This would not include income from things such as investments in other firms. Also referred to as operating profit or recurring profit. for the first quarter was $358.1 million, compared to operating income of $.2 million for the same period last year. Distillate dis·til·late n. A liquid condensed from vapor in distillation. distillate a product of distillation. margins across Valero's system were up +150% largely as a result of colder winter weather in the Northeast and fuel switching demand caused by high natural gas prices. All Star Analysts following VLO believe that the improved earnings environment, in combination with some recently completed transactions, has allowed them to significantly strengthen their balance sheet and positions the company for further growth. Investors looking to refine their portfolio may want to consider VLO. Discover all the current All Star Analyst rankings and top analyst recommendations at http://allstarrank.zacks.com About Zacks All Star Analyst Survey Do you want to know which brokerage analysts are the best in their field and what stocks they're recommending today? Find out with 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://bestofbreed.zacks.com Top recommendations from All Star Analysts Highlighted in FREE Investment Newsletter Each week, Zacks.com highlights investment insight and favorite recommendations from All Star Analysts and other leading investment experts. This is all part of our FREE e-mail See Internet e-mail service. newsletter, "Profit from the Pros." The only way to get these powerful insights is with a FREE subscription to the "Profit from the Pros" investment newsletter. 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