All Star Analysts Portfolio highlights: Chicago Bridge & Iron, Incyte Corporation, PPD and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com just released its latest additions and deletions to its proprietary All Star Analyst portfolio. Members on this exclusive list include Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (NYSE: CBI), Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ: INCY), PPD, Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDI) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT). 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 7.53%. Here is a synopsis of why these stocks are in the All Star Analysts Portfolio:

Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (NYSE: CBI) was awarded a contract by Peru LNG S.R.L. late last month for the engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and commissioning of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction plant. The commercial scope of work is valued at more than $1.5 billion. CBI, which reached 52-week highs on Feb 1 and Feb 2, will report its fourth-quarter results later this month. For the third quarter, the company reported earnings per share of 33 cents on revenue of approximately $861 million. Earnings reversed a year-ago loss and topped the consensus by almost 18%, while revenue jumped 55%.

Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ: INCY) will report its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results next week. For its third quarter, the drug discovery and development company reported a net loss of 19 cents, which narrowed the year-ago loss and beat the consensus. Meanwhile, revenues improved to $7.3 million from $1.2 million. Last month, Incyte announced positive preliminary results from its HIV and diabetes programs, helping the company set 52-week highs twice in January. It also set a fresh 52-week high on Feb 2.

PPD, Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDI) reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of 35 cents on net revenue of $327 million. EPS exceeded the consensus by approximately 6% and bettered the year-ago result, while revenue increased 19.1% from $274.6 million. For the full year, net revenue advanced 20.4% to $1.25 billion, versus $1.04 billion in 2005. EPS moved to $1.32 from $1.03. The global contract research organization remains on the All Star Analyst portfolio.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) remains one of the All Stars' favorite names in the lodging industry, and its recent fourth-quarter report underscores their support. Earnings per share from continuing operations, excluding items, reached 92 cents, compared to 71 cents a year earlier. The result also topped the consensus by approximately 26%. Worldwide systemwide revenue per available room (RevPAR) for same-store hotels advanced 11.4% year over year. Starwood is excited about its positioning for 2007 and offered an encouraging outlook, sending full-year earnings estimates higher by 2% in the past seven trading days.

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

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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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