Vector .(VGR) ZACKS· ZACKS·2024-09-09 13:51Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of confirming the sustainability of stock trends for profitable short-term investing, highlighting the use of a specific screening strategy to identify stocks with strong fundamentals and positive price momentum [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Screening Strategy - The "Recent Price Strength" screen is designed to identify stocks with sufficient fundamental strength to maintain their recent uptrend, focusing on those trading in the upper portion of their 52-week high-low range, indicating bullishness [3]. - Vector Group (VGR) is identified as a suitable candidate that passed through this screening process, showing a solid price increase of 41.6% over the past 12 weeks, reflecting investor confidence in its potential upside [4]. - VGR has also maintained a price increase of 13.1% over the past four weeks, indicating that the upward trend is still intact, and it is currently trading at 90.2% of its 52-week high-low range, suggesting a potential breakout [5]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - VGR holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises, which are critical for near-term price movements [6]. - The Zacks Rank system has a strong track record, with Zacks Rank 1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988, indicating the effectiveness of this ranking system [7]. - Additionally, VGR has an Average Broker Recommendation of 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [7]. Group 3: Investment Opportunities - Besides VGR, there are several other stocks that meet the criteria of the "Recent Price Strength" screen, suggesting potential investment opportunities for trend-focused investors [8]. - The article encourages investors to explore over 45 Zacks Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles, which can help identify winning stock picks [8].