Lisa Thompson

Founded by Len Zacks in 1978, Zacks Investment Research, Inc. is an SEC-registered broker/dealer and investment research firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with an office in Irvine, California. The firm is principally owned by The Greenwood Trust. Zacks makes both short-term and long-term investment recommendations using the following investment styles: aggressive growth, growth/income, momentum, value, technicals and options. Zack Investment Research employs the Zacks Rank, a 100% a peerless stock rating system that is based on a quantitative model that includes the use of four factors including as earnings estimate revisions and earnings surprises. Stocks are classified into five groups, ranging from 'Strong Buy' to 'Strong Sell.' Zacks Rank is completely mathematical and focuses only on the math and whether the math predicts that a stock's price will rise. It is a short-term indicator of stock performance that is effective for 1 to 3 months. The Zacks Recommendation process begins with a new quantitative model that employs the Zacks Rank. The firm then utilizes qualitative insights to develop a unique recommendation based on a 6 month time horizon. Zacks Investment Research provides coverage primarily on the following sectors: (1) manufacturers of electrical components (2) photo optics/lasers (3) HPC computing platforms (4) manufacturers and distributors of textiles (5) information technology (6) independent oil and gas companies involved in the exploration, development and acquisition of crude oil and natural gas (6) providers of docking, manipulator and wafer probing interface products for semiconductor and ATE manufacturers (7) companies that design and manufacture oscilloscopes, serial data analyzers and protocol analyzers to test, measure and analyze electronic signals (8) manufacturers of branded toys, collectibles, hobby or infant products and (9) financial services companies.

Founded in 2007, TownHall Investment Research, formerly JRPG LLC, is an independent research firm located Littleton, Colorado. They follow the wireless and digital communications sectors. Within the wireless sector, the firm focuses on smart phones, handsets, carriers, infrastructure providers and the supply chain to the wireless industry. Their research on the digital communications sector focuses on digital broadcast and mobile television, cable and satellite providers, digital broadcasting, spectrum valuation and usage and streaming video. TownHall Investment Research's approach is to analyze the wireless and digital communications sectors from the buyer's point of view. Most of the firm's experts participate in some element of buying or selling decisions which gives the firm insight into buyer behavior. Town Hall Investment Research then applies their analytical experience to drilling down on individual companies to determine the investment relevance and the timing of impact from the changes. While their strategy is driven by thematic changes, data flow from their industry experts enables them to forecast the shorter-term timing and severity of the change. Town Hall Investment Research builds financial models to understand the investment impact of their experts' input. The core element of their strategy is ROE because it correlates well with valuation and business model sustainability.