Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers: Telemar, Martek Biosciences, Yanzhou Coal Mining, Quest Resource and Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea.

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com announces the latest list of top performing Zacks #1 Rank ("strong buy") stocks. The stocks on the prestigious list with the highest returns last week were Tele Norte Leste Participacoes (NYSE: TNE), Martek Biosciences Corporation (NASDAQ: MATK), Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Ltd. (NYSE: YZC), Quest Resource (NASDAQ: QRCP) and The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (NYSE: GAP). Each of these stocks easily outperformed the S&P 500.

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of +32% 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.

Tele Norte Leste Participacoes (NYSE: TNE), also known as Telemar, is a leading provider of fixed and wireless telecommunications services in Brazil. The company was the top-performing Zacks #1 Rank for the week ended Jan 11. Shares jumped more than 30% as many investors turned their attention to emerging markets during a difficult week. Telemar was featured as a Value Stock of the Day at Zacks.com on Jan 8 due to a relatively cheap price despite its impressive growth.

TNE announced a big move in October 2007 when it acquired wireless licenses to expand to Sao Paulo and to increase its frequency range in many other states to enhance its capacity to handle traffic. This is expected to make an impact on the company's bottom line over the long term. In addition, TNE posted better-than-expected third-quarter results, and earnings per share estimates for the year ended December 2007 and the year ending December 2008 are both above levels from three months ago.

Martek Biosciences Corporation (NASDAQ: MATK) was a top-performing Zacks #1 Rank company last week with a gain of 12.9%. Earnings estimates for the quarter that ends this month are up almost 30% from two months ago, while expectations for the year ending October 2008 have risen 12% over the past 30 days. Martek is a leader in the innovation and development of omega-3 DHA products that promote health and wellness through every stage of life.

Last month, MATK announced earnings per share, excluding items, of 23 cents, which eclipsed the consensus by 15% while easily surpassing the year-ago result. Revenue gained 22% year over year. For the full fiscal year, the company expects growth in revenues and profitability as compared to fiscal 2007. Furthermore, Martek offered an earnings per share forecast of between 21 cents and 23 cents for its fiscal first quarter, which was above the consensus estimate at the time of 17 cents.

Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Ltd. (NYSE: YZC) gained 11.8% last week as it capitalized on favorable market conditions. The Chinese company engages in underground coal mining, preparation and processing, sales and railway transportation of coal.

Yanzhou is in a good position right now as coal prices have been on the rise for several weeks now, reflecting both high demand and the search for safe havens in a difficult market. It doesn't hurt either that YZC is based in China - a rapidly-growing economy that needs energy. In fact, demand from all of Asia is one of the main reasons why coal companies are in a sweet spot. Furthermore, the rising cost of oil is also benefiting coal since it is cheaper and, therefore, more attractive in the globe's search for energy.

Quest Resource (NASDAQ: QRCP) has now been a top-performing Zacks #1 Rank company for two consecutive weeks. QRCP, which is the largest producer of natural gas in the Cherokee Basin, made the list with a gain of approximately 5.75%. Earnings estimates for the years ended December 2007 and ending December 2008 have both been trending higher.

For its third quarter, Quest Resource announced a positive surprise of almost 140%, as earnings per share of nine cents bettered the consensus estimate of a sharp loss. That result also easily exceeded the year-ago loss of 46 cents. Total revenue jumped to $30.3 million from $16.7 million. More recently, Quest Resource announced in late December that it expects to get between $23 million and $25 million in combined distributions from Quest Energy Partners and Quest Midstream Partners during 2008.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (NYSE: GAP) announced earlier this month a fiscal third-quarter loss per share that not only narrowed on a year-over-year basis, but also handily eclipsed the consensus. In addition, sales advanced to $1.3 billion from $1.2 billion, while same-store sales increased 3.1%. Other recent highlights for the company include the sale of its Metro Inc. supermarket chain and the acquisition of Pathmark Stores.

With a gain of a little more than 5%, Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea was a top-performing Zacks #1 Rank company for the week ended Jan 11. Analysts expect losses for the fiscal years ending February 2008 and February 2009, but these expectations have narrowed significantly over the past three months. GAP is one of the country's first supermarket chains, and operates in eight states and the District of Columbia under the trade names A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum's, The Food Emporium, Super Foodmart, Super Fresh and Food Basics.

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 +32%. 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 129% annually (+5 % vs. +12%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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The performance of the Zacks Rank portfolios shown above for annual and year-to-date periods are the linked monthly total returns (price changes + dividends) of equal weighted hypothetical portfolios, consisting of those stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank, assuming monthly rebalancing and zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios. The hypothetical portfolios were created at the beginning of each month from January 1988 forward based on the values of the Zacks Rank available to Zacks' clients before the beginning of each month. The portfolios created monthly from 1988 through September 2006 exclude ADRS and are comprised of stocks that have the indicated Zacks Rank and were covered by at least two analysts at the time of the stocks inclusion in the portfolio. Starting in October 2006 and going forward, the portfolios are comprised of all stocks with the indicated Zacks Rank and do not exclude ADRs, which is more reflective of the list of stocks that customers will find on the Zacks web sites. 2007 returns are for the period of Jan 1 - Mar 31, 2007. These performance numbers have been audited from 1995 through 2003 by Autschuler Melovan, a division of American Express Financial.

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Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.