What Makes Investar (ISTR) a Good Fit for 'Trend Investing'

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying sustainable trends in stock prices for short-term investing, highlighting that sound fundamentals and positive earnings estimates are crucial for maintaining momentum in stock prices [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Investar (ISTR) has shown a solid price increase of 12.5% over the past 12 weeks, indicating investor confidence in its potential upside [2]. - The stock has also increased by 9.8% over the last four weeks, suggesting that the upward trend is still intact [2]. - ISTR is currently trading at 98.2% of its 52-week high-low range, indicating a potential breakout [2]. Group 2: Fundamental Strength - ISTR 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 [3]. - The Zacks Rank system has a strong historical performance, with Rank 1 stocks averaging a +25% annual return since 1988 [3]. - The Average Broker Recommendation for ISTR is 1 (Strong Buy), reflecting high optimism from the brokerage community regarding its near-term price performance [3]. Group 3: Investment Strategy - The article suggests that ISTR is not the only stock that meets the criteria of the "Recent Price Strength" screen, encouraging investors to explore other stocks that may also present profitable opportunities [4]. - It highlights the availability of over 45 Zacks Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles, which can help identify winning stock picks [4]. - The Zacks Research Wizard tool allows investors to backtest stock-picking strategies, enhancing the likelihood of achieving profitable results [4].