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Momentum investing is essentially an exception to the idea of "buying low and selling high." Investors following this style of investing are usually not interested in betting on cheap stocks and waiting long for them to recover. Instead, they believe that "buying high and selling higher" is the way to make far more money in lesser time.Who doesn't like betting on fast-moving trending stocks? But determining the right entry point isn't easy. Often, these stocks lose momentum once their valuation moves ahead ...

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher" rather than traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing - Momentum investors often face challenges in determining the right entry point, as stocks may lose momentum when their valuations exceed future growth potential [2] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum, utilizing tools like the Zacks Momentum Style Score to identify such opportunities [3] Group 2: Bionano Genomics, Inc. (BNGO) - BNGO has shown a significant price increase of 19.4% over the past four weeks, indicating growing investor interest [4] - The stock has gained 13.2% over the past 12 weeks, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [5] - BNGO has a high beta of 2.06, suggesting it moves 106% more than the market in either direction, indicating fast-paced momentum [5] - The stock holds a Momentum Score of A, suggesting it is an opportune time to invest [6] - BNGO has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which typically attract more investor interest [7] - The stock is currently trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.70, indicating it is reasonably valued at 70 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides BNGO, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting further investment opportunities [8] - The Zacks Premium Screens offer over 45 different strategies tailored to help investors find winning stock picks [9]

Core Insights - Stock screening is a valuable tool for investors to navigate numerous options and focus on preferred investment parameters [1][10] - Zacks offers a variety of pre-built screens tailored to different investment strategies, including growth, value, momentum, and income [11] Screening Parameters - Screening parameters serve as essential criteria for filtering stocks, akin to ingredients in a recipe, allowing investors to exclude irrelevant information [3] - Parameters can be customized for various investing styles, such as momentum, value, growth, or income-based strategies [2][3] Value Investing - Value investors can utilize parameters like Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio, Price-to-Sales (P/S) ratio, and Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio to identify high-quality stocks trading at a discount [4] Momentum Investing - Momentum investing focuses on stocks experiencing buying pressure, with parameters including percentage price change over the last month, average volume, and price as a percentage of the 52-week high-low range [5] Growth Investing - Growth-oriented strategies target companies expected to achieve above-average sales and earnings growth, with key parameters including last year's earnings and sales growth rates, expected growth rates for the current year, and long-term expected EPS growth rate [6][7] Income Investing - Income-focused investing emphasizes dividend-paying stocks, with parameters such as current dividend yield and 5-year historical dividend growth rate to identify stable investments [8]

Group 1: Momentum Investing Overview - Momentum investing involves following a stock's recent trend, with the strategy of "buying high, hoping to sell even higher" [1] - The Zacks Momentum Style Score helps investors identify stocks with momentum by focusing on key metrics [2] Group 2: FirstCash Holdings (FCFS) Analysis - FirstCash Holdings currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [3][4] - FCFS shares have increased by 1.55% over the past week, while the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry has risen by 2.47% [6] - Over the last quarter, FCFS shares have gained 9.8%, and 18.59% over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500's gains of 7.98% and 15.57%, respectively [7] - The average 20-day trading volume for FCFS is 385,679 shares, indicating a bullish sign if the stock rises with above-average volume [8] Group 3: Earnings Outlook - In the past two months, two earnings estimates for FCFS have moved higher, increasing the consensus estimate from $7.93 to $8.03 [10] - For the next fiscal year, two estimates have also moved upwards, with no downward revisions [10] Group 4: Conclusion - FCFS is positioned as a 2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B, making it a potential candidate for near-term investment [12]

Group 1: OptimizeRx - OptimizeRx provides consumer and physician platforms to assist patients in affording and complying with their medications and healthcare products [1] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 26.4% over the last 60 days [1] - OptimizeRx's shares gained 33.4% over the last three months, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 9.5% [2] - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [2] Group 2: Kanzhun - Kanzhun operates an online recruitment platform primarily in China [2] - The company also has a Zacks Rank of 1 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 1.9% over the last 60 days [2] - Kanzhun's shares gained 23.3% over the last three months, again outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 9.5% [3] - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [3] Group 3: Arista Networks - Arista Networks provides cloud networking solutions for data centers and cloud computing environments [3] - The company holds a Zacks Rank of 1 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 9.8% over the last 60 days [3] - Arista Networks' shares gained 42.2% over the last three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 9.5% [4] - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [4]

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on following a stock's recent price trends, aiming to buy high and sell even higher, with the expectation that established trends will continue [1] Company Overview: Mercury General (MCY) - Mercury General currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B, indicating a favorable momentum outlook [3] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which historically outperforms the market when combined with a Style Score of A or B [4] Performance Metrics - Over the past week, MCY shares increased by 4.77%, outperforming the Zacks Insurance - Property and Casualty industry, which rose by 1.06% [6] - In the last month, MCY's price change was 6.56%, compared to the industry's 1.27% [6] - Over the past quarter, MCY shares rose by 19.08%, and over the last year, they increased by 22.39%, while the S&P 500 only moved 7.87% and 15.7%, respectively [7] Trading Volume - MCY's average 20-day trading volume is 292,714 shares, which serves as a baseline for price-to-volume analysis [8] Earnings Outlook - In the last two months, one earnings estimate for MCY increased, while none decreased, raising the consensus estimate from -$0.50 to $4.50 [10] - For the next fiscal year, one estimate has moved upwards with no downward revisions during the same period [10] Conclusion - Considering the performance metrics and earnings outlook, MCY is positioned as a 1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B, making it a potential candidate for near-term investment [12]

Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong momentum characteristics for investors to consider today, August 20th:Hawkins (HWKN) : This company which distributes, blends and manufactures bulk and specialty chemicals and other health and nutrition products for its customers in a wide variety of industries, has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 0.9% over the last 60 days.Hawkins' shares gained 35.3% over the last three month co ...

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher" rather than the traditional "buying low and selling high" approach, aiming for quicker profits [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Characteristics - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum if their valuations exceed future growth potential, leading to potential losses for investors [2] - A safer strategy involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum, utilizing tools like the Zacks Momentum Style Score to identify such opportunities [3] Group 2: Aveanna Healthcare (AVAH) Analysis - Aveanna Healthcare (AVAH) has shown significant price movement, with a 74.7% increase over the past four weeks, indicating strong investor interest [4] - Over the past 12 weeks, AVAH's stock has gained 32.3%, demonstrating its ability to maintain momentum over a longer period [5] - AVAH has a beta of 1.95, suggesting it moves 95% more than the market, indicating fast-paced momentum [5] - The stock has a Momentum Score of B, suggesting it is an opportune time for investment to capitalize on its momentum [6] - AVAH has received a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which typically attract more investors [7] - The stock is currently trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.68, indicating it is undervalued, as investors pay only 68 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides AVAH, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting further investment opportunities [8] - Investors can explore over 45 Zacks Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles to identify potential winning stocks [9]

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," contrasting with traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum when their valuations exceed future growth potential [1] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum, identified through the Zacks Momentum Style Score [2] Group 2: AGCO Stock Analysis - AGCO (AGCO) has shown a price increase of 6.4% over the past four weeks, indicating growing investor interest [3] - Over the past 12 weeks, AGCO's stock gained 12.6%, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [4] - AGCO has a beta of 1.21, suggesting it moves 21% higher than the market in either direction, indicating fast-paced momentum [4] - AGCO holds a Momentum Score of B, suggesting it is an opportune time to invest in the stock [5] - The stock has a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which attract more investors [6] - AGCO is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.83, indicating it is reasonably valued at 83 cents for each dollar of sales [6] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides AGCO, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting further investment opportunities [7] - Zacks offers over 45 Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles, aiding in identifying potential winning stocks [8]