All Star Analysts Portfolio Highlights: Caterpillar, Carnival, Cytyc Corporation, and Ingersoll-Rand Company.

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com just released its latest additions and deletions to its proprietary All Star Analyst portfolio. Members on this exclusive list include Caterpillar, Inc. (NYSE:CAT), Carnival (NYSE:CCL), Cytyc Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTC), and Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd. (NYSE:IR). 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 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. In 2003 this portfolio gained +46.6% nearly doubling the rise of the S&P 500. Here is a synopsis of why these stocks are on the All Star Analysts Portfolio:

Caterpillar, Inc. (NYSE:CAT): Earlier this month, members of the United Auto Workers agreed to a six-year contract with Caterpillar, evading a strike. The deal also ended an uncomfortable situation where workers at four plants stayed on the job without a contract as the two sides negotiated. Such news should give Caterpillar a shot in the arm as it looks to improve upon its third quarter numbers, in which earnings per share and revenues improved upon year-ago totals. The company said its entire value chain is responding to the strongest recovery it has ever seen across the broad spectrum of markets it serves. The All Stars like the progress Caterpillar made in 2004 and is looking forward to its fourth quarter numbers on January 27th.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) recently announced an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of a new 112,000-ton vessel for its Costa Cruises unit. According to the company, continuing to invest in the Costa brand and introducing new vessels to its fleet are key to maintaining Costa's preeminent position as Europe's number one cruise line and to ensure Costa's fleet is the most modern in the European market. The All Stars like that Carnival is building for the future and are encouraged for the company's future. During its fiscal fourth quarter report from December, Carnival said it believes the strength of its 2005 advance bookings, along with the continued strength in overall leisure travel, builds confidence that 2005 will be a good year.

Cytyc Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTC): Earlier this month, Cytyc expressed its comfort with guidance for 2004 and 2005, previously provided in its late October conference call. The company, which plans to release 2004 results on February 9th, 2005, expects combined revenue of its surgical products and its diagnostic products divisions of between $390 million and $392 million for 2004, with earnings per share of 79 cents to 81 cents. For 2005, it expects revenue of $485 million to $505 million on fully diluted earnings per share of 97 cents to $1.03. Furthermore, in December, Cytyc announced that the Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of the National Health Service (NHS) intends to convert all cervical screening to the ThinPrep(R) Pap Test in all eight of its labs. The All Stars like this company's potential moving forward.

Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd. (NYSE:IR) announced in late December that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 70% interest in Italy-based CISA S.p.A. for a purchase price of about Euro 200 million in cash. CISA manufactures an array of security and safety products. Ingersoll-Rand acquired a 30% interest in the first quarter of 2002. The company said the acquisition expands the geographic reach of its security and safety business and provides an established and proven European platform to pursue global growth opportunities. Given Ingersoll-Rand's solid performance in the past and its growing opportunities internationally, it's easy to see why the All Stars are sticking close to this company.

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

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