Core Insights - The Zacks Focus List is a curated portfolio of 50 stocks expected to outperform the market over the next 12 months, serving as a starting point for long-term investors [4][6]. Company Performance - The Focus List achieved a 13.85% annualized gain in 2020, compared to the S&P 500's return of 9.38%. Cumulatively, the portfolio has returned 2,519.23% from February 1, 1996, to March 31, 2021, while the S&P returned 854.95% during the same period [6]. Selection Methodology - Stocks for the Focus List are selected based on earnings estimate revisions, which are determined by brokerage analysts assessing a company's growth and profitability expectations [7][8]. - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock-rating model, utilizes earnings estimate revisions to facilitate the construction of a winning portfolio. It consists of four main pillars: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise [9][10]. Stock Spotlight: Cheniere Energy (LNG) - Cheniere Energy, involved in LNG terminal construction and operation, was added to the Focus List on September 6, 2022, at a price of $159.36 per share. Since then, its shares have increased by 32.21% to $210.69 [13][14]. - For fiscal 2025, four analysts have revised their earnings estimates upwards, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by $3.86 to $17.13. LNG has an average earnings surprise of 79.9% and is expected to grow earnings by 20.6% for the current fiscal year [14].
Why Cheniere Energy (LNG) is a Top Stock for the Long-Term