Finward Bancorp(US:FNWD) ZACKS·2024-09-26 13:51Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying and maintaining trends in short-term investing, highlighting that sound fundamentals and positive earnings estimates are crucial for sustaining momentum in stock prices [1]. Group 1: Stock Screening and Selection - The "Recent Price Strength" screen is a unique short-term trading strategy that helps identify stocks with strong fundamentals capable of maintaining an uptrend [2]. - Stocks that pass this screen are typically trading in the upper portion of their 52-week high-low range, indicating bullish sentiment [2]. Group 2: Case Study - Finward Bancorp (FNWD) - Finward Bancorp (FNWD) has shown a solid price increase of 27.1% over the past 12 weeks, indicating strong investor interest [3]. - The stock has also increased by 14.2% over the last four weeks, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [4]. - FNWD is currently trading at 88.3% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout [4]. Group 3: Fundamental Strength - FNWD 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 [5]. - The Zacks Rank system has a strong track record, with Zacks Rank 1 stocks averaging an annual return of +25% since 1988 [6]. - The average broker recommendation for FNWD is 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [6]. Group 4: Additional Opportunities - Besides FNWD, there are several other stocks that meet the criteria of the "Recent Price Strength" screen, suggesting further investment opportunities [7]. - The article encourages exploring over 45 Zacks Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles to identify potential winning stocks [7].