5 Top PowerRatings Upgrades for Investors: ACGL, PAS, PSD, DNEX, IFF

As of this morning we have five stocks that have earned Long Term PowerRatings upgrades into the "consider buying" range of 8 or higher. Active investors and long term traders looking to make portfolio changes may want to consider stocks from among this group of Long Term PowerRatings stocks that our research suggests are likely to be both more reliable and better performers than the average stock after one year.

Two of the stocks in today's report have earned PowerRatings upgrades from 7 to 8 and three have experienced upgrades from 8 to 9.

Stocks with Long Term PowerRatings of 8 have been higher one year later more than 74% of the time - compared to the average stock which has been higher one year later less than 68% of the time. Stocks with Long Term PowerRatings of 9 have been even more reliable, being higher one year later more than 79% of the time in our historical testing.

In addition to being more reliable than the average stock, stocks with high Long Term PowerRatings have also simply been better performers. With average stocks tending to gain between 12-13% after one year, we found that 8-rated stocks tended to gain more than 17% over the same time - with 9-rated stocks gaining more than 18%.

The two stocks that experienced PowerRatings upgrades from 7 to 8 were Dionex Corporation (DNEX@DNEX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF@IFF | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Dionex Corporation belongs to the Scientific and Technical Instruments industry group, an industry group with an Industry PowerRating of 8 that is also home to the 9-rated stock, Coherent Inc. (COHR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Dionex is involved principally in the business of developing and manufacturing systems for the chemistry, particularly in chromatography.

Dionex Corporation

International Flavors and Fragrances is also involved in the chemistry business - albeit from a different perspective. The company helps provide flavor, fragrance or both to products for the consumer market. The company is the highest rated stock in the 10-rated Synthetics industry group, has a P/E of 14.10 and a modest dividend yield of 2.30.

International Flavors and Fragrances

We have three stocks that have earned PowerRatings upgrades from 8 to 9. While 8-rated stocks are impressive enough in their own right, our research indicates that investors can gain an even greater edge with stocks with Long Term PowerRatings that are only a point or two higher.

Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL@ACGL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) received a PowerRatings upgrade from 8 to 9 as of this morning. Arch Capital Group belongs to the 10-rated Property and Casualty Insurance business, where it shares top billing with other 9-rated stocks such as Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA@BRKA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Partnerre Ltd. (PRE@PRE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).

Arch Capital Group Ltd.

Another stock that had a PowerRatings upgrade into the "elite" level of high Long Term PowerRatings stocks is PepsiAmericas Inc. (PAS@PAS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). The company is one among four top-rated stocks in the 10-rated Soft Drinks/Beverages industry group - along with stocks such as Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE@CCE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) with a PowerRating of 9, and Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG@PBG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Coca Cola Company (KO@KO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), both of which have Long Term PowerRatings of 8.

PepsiAmericas Inc.

The last stock in today's group Puget Sound Energy (PSD@PSD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). If you have been spending any time at all at PowerRatings.net, then you know that both electric and diversified utilities stocks have been among our most consistently high-rated stocks. In the Electric Utilities industry group, for example, there are 5 stocks with Long Term PowerRatings of 9 (including Puget Sound Energy), and more than double that number with Long Term PowerRatings of 8. As of this morning, Puget Sound Energy has moved from the latter group to the former, with its PowerRatings upgrade to 9.

Puget Sound Energy

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David Penn is Senior Editor for PowerRatings.net.