Zacks.com featured highlights include ANI Pharmaceuticals, Heritage Insurance, Avista and Exelon

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – April 23, 2025 – Stocks in this week’s article are ANI Pharmaceuticals ANIP, Heritage Insurance HRTG, Avista AVA and Exelon EXC4 Stocks Trading Near 52-Week Highs with Room to Rise FurtherStocks hitting their 52-week high and delivering consistent performance offer attractive opportunities to investors while building a portfolio. This is because stocks near that level are perceived to be winners. However, stocks touching a new 52-week high are often predisposed to profit-taking, resulting in pullbacks and trend reversals.Moreover, given the high price, investors often wonder if the stock is overpriced. While the speculations are not absolutely baseless, all stocks hitting a 52-week high are not necessarily overpriced.In fact, investors might lose out on top gainers in an attempt to avoid the steep prices.Stocks such as ANI Pharmaceuticals, Heritage Insurance, Avista and Exelon are expected to maintain their momentum and keep scaling new highs. Extensive information on a stock is necessary to understand whether or not there is scope for further upside.Here, we discuss a strategy to find the right stocks. The strategy borrows from the basics of momentum investing. This technique bets on "buy high, sell higher."52-Week High: A Good IndicatorMany times, stocks that hit a 52-week high fail to scale higher despite having potential. This is because investors fear that the stocks are overvalued and expect the price to crash.In fact, overvaluation is natural for most of these stocks as investors' focus (or willingness to pay a premium) has helped them reach the level. But that does not always indicate an impending decline. Factors such as robust sales, surging profit levels, earnings growth prospects and strategic acquisitions that encourage investors to bet on these stocks could keep them motivated if there is no tangible negative. In other words, the momentum might continue.Also, when a string of positive developments dominates the market, investors find their under-reaction unwarranted, even if there are no company-specific driving forces.Here are four stocks that made it through the screen:ANI Pharmaceuticals represents a compelling investment opportunity in 2025 as it strategically strengthens its Rare Disease portfolio and enhances financial flexibility. The company recently boosted 2025 revenue guidance to $756-776 million with Rare Disease products representing nearly half of total revenues.Its lead asset, Cortrophin Gel, delivered record quarterly revenues of $59.4 million with impressive 42.3% year-over-year growth. The ILUVIEN/YUTIQ ophthalmology franchise shows significant expansion potential following the FDA approval for chronic NIU-PS and the elimination of a perpetual royalty obligation. With strong adjusted EBITDA growth of 66% to $50 million, robust commercial execution, and strategic investments in supply security, ANI is positioned for accelerated growth in high-value therapeutic areas while maintaining strong cash flow generation.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ANIP's 2025 earnings has remained steady at $6.34 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 17.32%.Heritage Insurance's growing commercial residential business, expanding E&S business and improving pricing are expected to deliver better margins and boost earnings. Rate adequacy, selective profit-oriented underwriting criteria and restricting new business in over-concentrated markets or products should drive profitability for Heritage Insurance. HRTG focuses on selective underwriting. There has been a decline in policy count, though average premiums per policy increased. However, HRTG expects the headwind from declining policies to begin to moderate over the next few quarters.The excess and supply (E&S) business is another growth lever for Heritage. HRTG stated that it will consider and evaluate growth opportunities in a greater number of states. Its reinsurance program shields Heritage Insurance from exposure to hurricanes and other severe weather events in the coastal area. The insurer expects a substantial reduction in the ceded premium ratio, given a combination of improvements in the reinsurance program from a cost and structure standpoint and growing gross premiums earned.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HRTG's 2025 earnings has moved north by 8% to $2.43 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same once, the average surprise being 328.63%.Avista's strategic capital expenditures help it improve its transmission and distribution and generation capacity. This should enhance its overall performance. Regulatory approvals for new electric rates help the company boost its top line. Given its growth opportunities, Avista makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.The company has been consistently increasing the value of its shareholders through dividends. It expects a dividend CAGR of 3.8% through 2025 (from 2021 baseline). Currently, Avista's quarterly dividend is 49 cents per share. This represents an annualized dividend of $1.96 per share, up 3.2% from the previous level.The company expects a targeted annual dividend payout ratio of 65-75%. Its current dividend yield is 4.94%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite's average of 1.3%. The company expects to invest nearly $2.98 billion during 2025-2029 in infrastructure upgrades. Nearly 48% of the total investments during 2025-2027 are for transmission and distribution. Avista expects an annual rate base growth of 5-6% during 2025-2029, driven by its capital expenditures.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVA's 2025 earnings has moved north by 2% to $2.61 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the trailing four quarters while missing the same twice, the average surprise being 31.26%.Exelon's investment will strengthen its transmission and distribution infrastructure and assist in providing reliable services to customers. Exelon's initiatives in grid modernization are going to improve the resilience of its operations and revenue decoupling mitigates the impact of load fluctuation. Stable cash flow allows the company to pay regular dividends. The development of data centers is going to increase demand. Our model projects revenues to increase year over year in the 2025-2027 period.Exelon invests substantially in infrastructure projects and plans to invest nearly $38 billion during 2025-2028 in regulated utility operations. The new capital expenditure indicates a 10% increase from the prior plan and will be utilized to support customer needs and grid reliability. The company is set to invest $21.7 billion in electric distribution, $12.6 billion in electric transmission and $3.8 billion in gas delivery in the 2025-2028 period.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EXC's 2025 earnings has moved north by a penny to $2.66 per share in the past 30 days. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same once, the average surprise being 7.63%.The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your trial to the Research Wizard today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2452476/4-stocks-trading-near-52-week-high-with-room-to-rise-furtherDisclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.About Screen of the WeekZacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine.  But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use.Strong Stocks that Should Be in the NewsMany are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has more than doubled the market from 1988 through 2016. Its average gain has been a stellar +25% per year. See these high-potential stocks free >>.Follow us on Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/zacksresearchJoin us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearchZacks 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.Contact: Jim GiaquintoCompany: Zacks.comPhone: 312-265-9268Email: pr@zacks.comVisit: https://www.zacks.com/Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exelon Corporation (EXC): Free Stock Analysis Report Avista Corporation (AVA): Free Stock Analysis Report ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ANIP): Free Stock Analysis Report Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (HRTG): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks