All Star Analysts Portfolio highlights: Dell, General Electric, PPD, Inc. and Wells Fargo & Company.

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com just released its latest additions and deletions to its proprietary All Star Analyst portfolio. Members on this exclusive list include Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), General Electric (NYSE:GE), PPD, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPDI) and Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC). 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. Since July 2002, this portfolio has generated an annualized return of 12.92%, exceeding the S&P 500 by a margin of more than 50%. Here is a synopsis of why these stocks are in the All Star Analysts Portfolio:

Dell (NASDAQ:DELL): Worldwide personal computer shipments increased by a little more than 17% in the third quarter, according to recent data from research firms IDC and Gartner. Dell's growth rate during the quarter was largely in-line with the worldwide growth rate, and not substantially above as in recent years. Nevertheless, the All Star analysts continue to appreciate this industry giant and its potential. Meanwhile, the company recently added a 37-inch display, its largest LCD panel to date, just in time for the holidays. Dell also announced that it is now taking orders for the W5001C model 50-inch plasma HDTV, which was unveiled in September.

General Electric (NYSE:GE) announced last week that all six GE businesses delivered double-digit percentile earnings growth in the third quarter. The company reported earnings per share of 44 cents, which marked a year-over-year improvement of 16% from 38 cents. The result also matched the consensus estimate. Revenues advanced 9% to $41.9 billion from $38.3 billion last year. Furthermore, organic revenue growth was 8% for the third consecutive quarter. GE said it is operating with greater efficiency and is identifying innovative ways to utilize its full portfolio of assets to offer new products and services. The company, which expects full-year earnings per share to rise 12% to 14%, believes it is well positioned for a strong finish to the year and solid double-digit growth into 2006.

PPD, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPDI) is a leading global contract research organization providing discovery and development services, market development expertise, and compound partnering programs. Earlier this month, PPD posted third-quarter earnings per share of 70 cents, excluding items, on revenue of $273.3 million. That earnings result marked a solid year-over-year improvement from 44 cents and also beat the consensus by approximately 6%. Net revenues advanced 26.6% from $215.8 million. The company stated that the quarter's performance, along with its on-going dedication to execution, should enable it to continue driving long-term shareholder value. PPD is a new addition to the All Star Analyst Portfolio.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) remains a favorite of the All Stars among financials. Yesterday, the company reported diluted earnings per share of $1.16, or 14% better than last year's $1.02. The company said this growth was broad-based as almost every consumer and commercial business line experienced double-digit profit growth. Quarterly revenue rose 16% to $8.5 billion, reflecting solid growth in both net interest income and noninterest income. Wells Fargo stated it achieved this strong performance over a variety of economic cycles because of its disciplined risk management, diversity across virtually all of financial services and its focus on earning all of its customers' business.

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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