April's Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers: DryShips, Int'l Securities Exchange, Acorda Therapeutics, Bucyrus International and Jones Soda.

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com announces the list of top performing Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks for the month of April. The stocks on the prestigious list with the highest returns last month were DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS), International Securities Exchange Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ISE), Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR), Bucyrus International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BUCY) and Jones Soda Co. (NASDAQ: JSDA). Each of these stocks easily outperformed the S&P 500.

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of +31.8% since inception in 1988. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained 43.8% while the S&P 500 tumbled 37.6%. To learn more about the Zacks Rank, go to http://at.zacks.com/?id=3172.

Here is a synopsis of the last week's best performing Zacks #1 Rank stocks.

DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) was the top performing Zacks #1 Rank company for the final two weeks of April, gaining 14.5% and 13.4% for the weeks ending Apr 27 and Apr 20 respectively. Given the strong momentum heading into May, it's no surprise that this international provider of drybulk carriers was the best performer for all of April - improving an impressive 57%.

As part of its fleet renewal and expansion strategy, DryShips announced in mid-April a plan to purchase three bulk carriers at approximately $49 million each, or $147 million in total. The company also announced that it would sell a bulk carrier for $13.3 million. After these transaction, DryShips' fleet will stand at 36 with an average age of 8.6 years, compared to the industry's average fleet age of 12.6 years. Earnings estimates for this year are currently at $4.41 per share, which is up about 19.5% in the past month.

Shares of International Securities Exchange Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ISE) finished April with a bang after news that Deutsche Boerse agreed to buy the electronic options-trading firm for $2.8 billion in cash, or $67.50 per share. That marks an almost 50% premium to ISE shareholders. The transaction creates the largest transatlantic derivatives marketplace with significant USD and Euro product coverage and with significant operations and revenues in both the U.S. and Europe. Thanks largely to this big news, International Securities Exchange Holdings was one of the top-performers last month with a gain of 37%.

Furthermore, April was a strong volume month for ISE. The company recently announced that total equity and index options volume advanced 20.8% in April to 54.6 million contracts from 45.2 million contracts a year ago. In March, total volume increased 26.7% to 62.3 million contracts from 49.2 million contracts. International Securities Exchange Holdings, through its subsidiaries, operates a family of innovative securities markets. It operates the largest U.S. equity options exchange and is among the leading options exchanges in the world.

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOR) began April with a 10.4% gain in the first week of the month. When the dust settled for all of April, the biotechnology company remained one of the top performers with a healthy advance of 28%. In its fourth-quarter report from late February, Acorda Therapeutics announced a loss of 30 cents per share, marking a significant narrowing from the previous year's loss of approximately $75. The result also bettered the consensus by almost 12%.

Analysts see potential for the company's central nervous system drug Fampridine-SR, which has shown positive clinical trial results for patients with multiple sclerosis. Data from Acorda's Phase 3 clinical trial will be presented at an analyst and investor reception later today.

Bucyrus International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BUCY) was one of the top performers for the month of April with a gain of 22%. The company's industry got a boost last week after some positive announcements from equipment companies. BUCY itself reached 52-week highs on Apr 25 and Apr 26. Earnings estimates for this year are currently at $3.02, which is up 1.3% over the past month and 3.4% over the past three months. Bucyrus International is one of the world's leading manufacturers of large-scale excavation equipment used in surface mining.

Jones Soda Co. (NASDAQ: JSDA) will report its first-quarter results on May 3. In its fourth quarter, the premium soda company reported an earnings per share surprise of 700% on revenue that advanced 15%. The company was one of the best-performing Zacks #1 Rank companies in April with an advance of 22%. Jones Soda was also featured as one of the top performers for the week ended Apr 6.

Early in the month, Jones Soda shares jumped after launching its 12-ounce bottled soda sweetened with pure cane sugar. The company believes that the transition to pure cane sugar will further solidify its leadership position as a result of the better taste, enhanced health benefits and positive perception of the new beverage line. Earnings estimates for this year have improved 46% over the past two months.

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 +31.8%. 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 underperformed the S&P 500 by 143.6% annually (+4.8% vs. +11.8%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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