Herbalife, Beacon Roofing, Astellas Pharma, Pfizer and Merck & Co highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

Chicago, IL October 2, 2013 Zacks Equity Research highlights Herbalife (HLF-Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Beacon Roofing (BECN-Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on the Astellas Pharma, Inc. (ALPMY-Free Report), Pfizer Inc. (PFE-Free Report) and Merck & Co, Inc. (MRK-Free Report).

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Herbalife (HLF-Free Report) the subject of a lot of controversy but it is also a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Herbalife has topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last 28 quarters which is a pretty unique accomplishment.

The last two beats were $0.20 and $0.22 -- but put in better perspective when you look at the percentage surprise. The March 2013 quarter came in 18.7% ahead of expectations and the June 2013 quarter was 18.5% ahead of analysts estimates. Those are some pretty big beats.

Herbalife is a network marketing company that sells weight management, nutritional supplements, energy, sports and fitness, and personal care products worldwide. Herbalife offers its products through retail stores, sales representatives, sales officers, and independent service providers. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.

In a mid-December 2011 conference, Bill Ackman disclosed that he is short approximately 20 million shares of Herbalife. The total short interest as of the end of December was approximately 37 million shares. Ackman asserts that the company is nothing short of a pyramid scheme and will end up at $0.00. To further substantiate this claim, Ackman needs the FTC to investigate the company and despite recent rumors and Freedom of Information Acts, there has been no such investigation. Bear of the Day: Beacon Roofing (BECN-Free Report) has seen estimates for 2013 and 2014 fall recently. A recent downgrade has pushed the Zacks Rank to the lowest level. BECN is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). It is the Bear of the Day.

The stock fell a significant amount the other day due to a downgrade from Robert W. Baird. The investment firm lowered their rating on the stock to Neutral from Outperform and took their target down to $39 from $42 based on lower estimates. Lowered estimates are a key reason stocks become Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. distributes residential and non-residential roofing materials to contractors, home builders, building owners, and other resellers. As of August 9, 2013, it operated through a network of 231 branches in 38 states of the United States, and Canada. Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is based in Peabody, Massachusetts.

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Herbalife, Beacon Roofing, Astellas Pharma, Pfizer and Merck & Co highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day