Zacks Buy List Highlights: Korn/Ferry International, Inc., Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., Tidewater, Inc., and Ixia.

CHICAGO -- Zacks.com releases another list of stocks that are currently members of the coveted Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) List. The #1 Rank stocks highlighted today are Korn/Ferry International, Inc. (NYSE:KFY) and Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. (NYSE:PVH). Further, Zacks announced #2 Rankings (Buy) on two other widely held stocks: Tidewater, Inc. (NYSE:TDW) and Ixia (NASDAQ:XXIA). To see the full Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) List, or the rank for any other stock, visit: http://at.zacks.com/?id=88

Stocks ranked #1 (Strong Buy) by Zacks have produced an average annual return of +32.8% 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%.

Here is a synopsis of why KFY and PVH have a Zacks Rank of 1. Note that a #1 Strong Buy rating is applied to only 5% of all the stocks Zacks ranks:

Korn/Ferry International, Inc. (NYSE:KFY) announced fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of 27 cents per share in early June, surpassing last year's 21 cents and exceeding the consensus estimate by 8%. The company stated that it is seeing continued strong global demand for executive-level jobs despite high oil prices and volatile equity markets. Earnings estimates for the year ending April 2006 increased by four cents, or almost 4%, over the past 60 trading days.

Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. (NYSE:PVH) recently updated its earnings guidance to a range of $1.70 to $1.75 per share for the fiscal full year and 40 cents to 41 cents per share for the fiscal second quarter. Both forecasts are in line with Wall Street estimates. Analysts' estimates for the year ending January 2006 are at $1.73 per share, about 10% above three months ago levels. The company said it believes that if current trends in its business were to continue, it would exceed the revised second quarter estimates.

Here is a synopsis of why TDW and XXIA have a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). Note that a #2 Buy rating is applied to 15% of all the stocks ranked by Zacks:

Tidewater, Inc. (NYSE:TDW) recently posted fiscal first-quarter earnings of 50 cents per share, soaring past last year's 23 cents and beating the consensus estimate by approximately 11%. Revenues totaled $192.2 million compared to last year's first-quarter total of $158.1 million. Earnings estimates for the year ending March 2006 moved up five cents, or about 2%, over the past 30 trading days.

Ixia (NASDAQ:XXIA) recently released second-quarter earnings of 14 cents per share, outperforming last year's result and matching the consensus estimate. Net revenues for the second quarter were a record $41.3 million, which represents a year-over-year increase of 54%. The company commented that the second quarter represented its 11th consecutive quarter of increasing sequential revenues and its 29th consecutive quarter of profitability. XXIA has also managed to either exceed or match analysts' estimates each time during the past five consecutive quarters.

Truly taking advantage of the Zacks Rank requires the understanding of how it works. The free special report, "Zacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisions," provides an insightful background about this wealth-building tool. Download your free copy of the report now to prosper in the years to come by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=93.

About the Zacks Rank

For over 16 years, 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 +32.8%. 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 155.5% annually (+4.65% vs. +11.88%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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