For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – April 28, 2016 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Biogen Inc. (BIIB), Novartis (NVS), Baxalta Incorporated (BXLT) and Shire plc (SHPG). Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free. Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog: Drug Stock Earnings Previews With the first-quarter earnings season in full swing, investors are possibly seeing a ray of hope, as results reported so far have not been as dismal as expected. The picture should be clearer by the end of this week, since by then, more than 60% of the S&P 500 companies will have reported their quarterly numbers. One reason for this could be low expectations for the first quarter, as an unimpressive fourth quarter, along with the downturn in China and falling oil prices, have been clouding investor sentiment since the beginning of 2016. Meanwhile, estimates for the second quarter are moving south as per the Earnings Trend report dated Apr 20, albeit not as severely as in the last earnings cycle. What Awaits Drug Stocks? Amid the ongoing hullabaloo, the medical sector is one of the only six sectors expected to witness earnings growth this season. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) kick-started the season on a positive note, wherein its earnings surpassed expectations and the company raised its outlook for the year, followed by the announcement of better-than-expected earnings by biotech player, Biogen Inc. (BIIB). Swiss oncology major, Novartis’ (NVS) earnings, on the other hand, failed to meet expectations. Baxalta Incorporated (BXLT) will also be reporting first-quarter 2016 results on Apr 28. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and has a 0.00% Earnings ESP. The company has posted an average negative earnings surprise of 0.51% over the last three quarters. Meanwhile, the company has agreed to merge with Shire plc (SHPG) by mid 2016. (Read more: Baxalta Q1 Earnings: Can the Stock Pull a Surprise? ) 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 >> About Zacks Equity Research Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term. Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons. Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today. Find out What is happening in the stock market today on zacks.com. 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 JOHNSON & JOHNS (JNJ): Free Stock Analysis Report BIOGEN INC (BIIB): Free Stock Analysis Report NOVARTIS AG-ADR (NVS): Free Stock Analysis Report BAXALTA INC (BXLT): Free Stock Analysis Report SHIRE PLC-ADR (SHPG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.