Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides various tools to enhance stock market investment confidence and effectiveness [1][2] - The Zacks Style Scores are designed to help investors select stocks with the highest potential to outperform the market in the short term [3] Zacks Style Scores Overview - The Style Scores categorize stocks into four types: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score, each focusing on different investment strategies [4][5][6][7] - Value Score emphasizes identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios [4] - Growth Score focuses on a company's future earnings and financial health [5] - Momentum Score capitalizes on existing price trends and earnings outlook [6] - VGM Score combines all three styles to provide a comprehensive assessment of stocks [7] Zacks Rank and Performance - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to assist in portfolio building [8] - Stocks rated 1 (Strong Buy) have historically achieved an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [9] - There are over 800 top-rated stocks available, making it essential to utilize Style Scores for effective selection [10] Investment Strategy Recommendations - For optimal returns, investors should focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B [11] - Stocks with a 3 (Hold) rank should also have A or B Scores to maximize upside potential [11] - The direction of earnings estimate revisions is crucial when selecting stocks, as declining forecasts can negatively impact share prices [12] Company Spotlight: Waters Corp. (WAT) - Waters Corp. is an analytical instrument manufacturer providing sustainable products for laboratory organizations [13] - Currently rated 3 (Hold) with a VGM Score of A, WAT has a Momentum Style Score of A and has seen a 2.2% increase in shares over the past month [13][14] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 indicate positive momentum, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate rising by $0.06 to $12.90 per share [14]