For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 8, 2010 – Four free stock picks are being made available today on Zacks.com. The industry’s leading independent research firm highlights one Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy or a Zacks #2 Rank Buy stock for each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum, and Value.

The four highlighted picks are: The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO – News), Meadowbrook Insurance Group (NYSE: MIG – News), Alliance Holdings GP, LP (NasdaqGS: AHGP – News) and G-III Apparel Group Inc (NasdaqGS: GIII – News).

Today, Zacks informs investors of its ”Buy” stock recommendations. Four daily picks are offered free at http://at.za cks.com/?id=5607.

Zacks #1 Rank Stocks have nearly tripled the S&P 500 since 1988, producing an average annual return of +28%. Performance has been notable even during volatile and down times. For example, during the last bear market, 2000-2002, the market tumbled -37.6% – but Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%.

Here is a summary of today’s selected stocks that are now highly rated by Zacks:

Aggressive Growth – The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO – News)

The Cooper Companies, Inc. surged to a multi-year high after beating Wall Street’s expectations last week. Bullish analysts continue to raise estimates, keeping valuations in check.

Zacks Guide to Aggressive Growth Investing (free!): http://at.za cks.com/?id=4309

Growth & Income – Meadowbrook Insurance Group (NYSE: MIG – News)

Meadowbrook Insurance Group recently posted its third consecutive positive EPS surprise (and 8th in the last 9 quarters).

Zacks Guide to Growth & Income Investing (free!): http://at.za cks.com/?id=4310

Momentum – Alliance Holdings GP, LP (NasdaqGS: AHGP – News)

Alliance Holdings GP, LP recently hit a new all-time high of $40.44 after reporting a solid 28% Q2 earnings surprise in late July as the industry recovers from a tough 2009. With estimates on the rise and a hefty dividend yield of more than 5%, AHGP has some solid upward momentum.

Zacks Guide to Momentum Investing (free!): http://at.za cks.com/?id=4311

Value – G-III Apparel Group Inc (NasdaqGS: GIII – News)

G-III Apparel Group Inc. recently revised full year estimates higher after sales soared 39% in the fiscal second quarter.

Zacks Guide to Value Investing (free!): http://at.za cks.com/?id=4312

How to Regularly Access Top Zacks Rank Picks Free: http://at.za cks.com/?id=7156

Underlying the four free stock picks is a simple truth that first appeared in a Financial Analysts Journal article published in 1979. Leonard Zacks, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from M.I.T. found that “earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices.” Zacks #1 Rank is awarded to a stock when analysts sharply upgrade their estimates of what the company will earn.

Today, Zacks releases stock recommendations by offering four daily picks free to those who register at http://at.za cks.com/?id=7157

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Len Zacks. The company continually processes stock reports issued by 3,000 analysts from 150 brokerage firms. It monitors more than 200,000 earnings estimates, looking for changes.

Then, when changes are discovered, they’re applied to help assign more than 4,400 stocks into five Zacks Rank categories: #1 Strong Buy, #2 Buy, #3 Hold, #4 Sell, and #5 Strong Sell. This proprietary stock-picking system continues to outperform the market by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.

More Free Stock Picks

Each weekday, new Zacks #1 Rank or Zacks #2 Rank stock picks are released on the free email newsletter, Profit from the Pros. Investors are invited to register for their free subscription at http://at.za cks.com/?id=5642

Follow us on Twitter: http://t witter.com/zacksresearch

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Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Zacks.com

Aggressive Growth Stocks:

Contact: Bill Wilton

Phone: 312-265-9277

or

Growth & Income Stocks:

Contact: Rob Plaza

Phone: 312-265-9442

or

Momentum Stocks:

Contact: Michael Vodicka

Phone: 312-265-9226

or

Value Stocks:

Contact: Tracey Ryniec

Phone: 312-265-9232

Email: pr@zacks.com

Visit: www.zacks.com

Visit http://w ww.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Zacks Investment Research

BEIJING (AP) — World stock markets slid Wednesday as the yen hit a fresh 15-year high against the dollar and new concerns bubbled about Europe’s banks after a report they have more risky government debt than thought.

The mood among investors was downbeat a day after The Wall Street Journal reported European Union stress tests of 91 banks in July understated some lenders’ holdings of potentially risky debt.

“That is another negative driver of sentiment,” said Jackson Wong, investment manager for Tanrich Securities in Hong Kong. Investors were also locking in profits after some gains last week, he said.

Fears that the global economic recovery was rapidly losing momentum appeared to ease last week but the respite has proven to be shortlived with Europe’s debt crisis threatening to flare up again.

Early in Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 0.6 percent to 5,376.11 while Germany’s DAX was off 0.6 percent at 6,083.4. France’s CAC-40 declined 0.5 percent to 3,624.88. Wall Street was set to fall with Dow Jones futures down 17 points, or 0.2 percent, at 10,322.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index dived 201.40, or 2.2 percent, to 9,024.60, with exporters pressured by the yen’s continued strength. A strong yen hurts Japanese companies like Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Corp. as it cuts their overseas profits and threatens to derail the country’s fragile economic recovery.

China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.1 percent to 2,695.29 amid fears of new property curbs and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 1.5 percent to 21,088.86.

Investors worried that Beijing might impose new curbs to cool the housing market ahead of the peak sales season of September and October, analysts said. That may include halting mortgage discounts and loans to developers.

“Heavyweights, including banks and real estate stocks, remained sluggish, because it is unclear where the government policies are heading,” said Li Jun, an analyst for Central China Securities in Shanghai.

Elsewhere, South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.5 percent to 1,779.22. India’s Sensex was down 0.2 percent at 18,598.63 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.8 percent to 4,537.20. Shares in Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore all retreated.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 107.24 points, or 1 percent, to 10,340.69.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.2671 from $1.2682 in New York late Tuesday. The dollar fell to 83.57 yen from 83.74 yen.

Benchmark crude for October delivery was down 49 cents at $73.59 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 51 cents to settle at $74.09 on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s proposed tax breaks for business sound like ideas that have enjoyed broad Republican backing in the past. But in today’s toxic political atmosphere, he’s unlikely to get much — if any — GOP help.

Still, his plans put Republicans on the spot, making it harder for them to say no to legislation they once embraced.

In a speech on Wednesday in Cleveland, Obama will ask Congress to let businesses quickly write off 100 percent of their spending on new plants and equipment through 2011.

Its part of a raft of new Obama proposals to spur job creation and help businesses — and to try to give his party a much-needed boost ahead of November elections that will determine which party controls the House and Senate.

Clearly frustrated by the halting economic recovery and mindful of polls showing Republicans poised to make big midterm gains, Obama had his economic advisers come up with a fresh set of proposals with job-creating potential.

Among them: a $50 billion program to rebuild roads, railways and airports and to create a new infrastructure bank to oversee long-term projects. Legislation containing multiple public works projects has usually been popular in Congress across party lines.

The administration has not spelled out exactly how it would pay for all the new proposals, but suggested it would offset tax cuts by closing various corporate loopholes and levying targeted tax hikes on big business, particularly on the oil and gas industry and on multinational corporations. Some of these tax proposals were included in the budget Obama submitted to Congress earlier this year but were never acted on by Congress.

Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the senior Republican on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, called Obama’s business tax measures serious proposals worthy of consideration. But he said that “raising taxes to cut taxes is at best a zero sum game.”

The proposed tax break for research and development has been around in one form or another since 1981 and in the past has drawn bipartisan support. However, Congress previously extended it just for short periods of time, usually just for one or two years, with frequent lapses that make it hard for businesses to plan. The credit most recently lapsed in 2009.

Obama has long advocated making the credit permanent.

His proposal to let companies quickly write off 100 percent of their investments in new plants and equipment is similar to proposals advanced several times by President George W. Bush — with considerable GOP support at the time.

The idea is to give companies an incentive to spend and invest now, rather than later. The administration claims the change would put nearly $200 billion in the hands of businesses over the next two years.

Under the current law, a company gets to deduct 50 percent of the costs upfront, and the remainder over three to 20 years, depending on the nature of the investment.

“This measure would provide tax incentives for businesses to invest in the United States when our economy needs it most,” says a White House fact sheet.

A senior administration official said the expensing provision would potentially benefit 1.5 million corporations and several million individuals. The tax break would be retroactive to this Wednesday.

Obama’s expensing and R&D tax credit proposals would generally help large businesses the most. A separate bill is before the Senate to give special tax breaks and loan incentives to small businesses. Obama has said that legislation should be Congress’ first order of business when it returns next week from its summer recess.

Chris Edwards, director of tax policy for the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute, said he favors both a permanent research tax credit and Obama’s proposal for 100 percent expensing, calling both “very positive” steps and a sign that the administration is getting seriously worried about the economy.

Still, he added, “the administration would nullify the benefits if they are matched by various tax proposals for businesses.”

Thomas Mann, a political scientist at the Brookings Institution, said Obama’s three proposals — infrastructure spending, a permanent R&D credit and upfront 100 percent business write-offs — “constitute a re-entry into the make-the-economy-grow argument.”

“All of them had support among conservatives and right-of-center economists for many years. That makes it more awkward for the Republicans just to say no,” Mann said. But that isn’t stopping them, he added.

The Obama proposals would require congressional approval, which is highly uncertain given Washington’s partisan atmosphere and the fast-approaching midterms.

“We understand what season we’ve entered in Washington,” said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Still, he said, even if Congress doesn’t take up Obama’s new proposals before the elections, “the president and the economic team still believe that these represent some very important ideas.”

The acceleration of the business write-off for plants and equipment would have a net long-term cost of $30 billion, far less than the amount the legislation would put in the hands of businesses, the White House contends. That’s because if companies take their write-offs upfront, they can’t depreciate the costs over a longer period for future tax breaks — as they do now.

Republican leaders greeted Obama’s most recent proposals cautiously, given past GOP support for various components.

“The White House is missing the big picture,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. “These aren’t necessarily bad proposals. …” But he said they don’t address the larger problems of “excessive government spending” and Democratic tax policies, including the impending expiration of Bush-era tax cuts.

Obama and Democratic congressional leaders want to renew the Bush tax cuts for households earning under $250,000 a year. Republicans want to extend all of them, saying a recession is no time to raise taxes.

Obama’s recently departed budget director, Peter Orszag, suggested in an op-ed article in Tuesday’s New York Times that policymakers seem locked “into a budget scenario out of which there are few politically plausible routes of escape.” As a compromise, he suggested extending the Bush tax cuts until 2013 “and then end them altogether.”

Gibbs said he had never heard Orszag make such an argument in internal White House deliberations and that the president did not agree with him on such a “compromise.”

Associated Press writers Julie Pace and Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.