World Bank Raises China Forecast The World Bank says China’s economy will expand by 9.5% this year due in part to increased private sector investment, export growth, and domestic consumption.According to Xinhua, the projection is up from the World Bank’s previous forecast of 8.7% made last November and the 8% goal set by the government earlier this month.The World Bank also forecast inflation to rise this year but it was unlikely to reach high rates due to excessive global capacity in supply. It sees the consumer price index rising by 3.5%-4% compared with the previous forecast of 2.8% and the 3% target set by the government. From the Bull Pen: Allow me to point out the timely note from Professor Ryan Krueger yesterday on the Buzz  Banter, Chinas exports to the developed nations (US, Europe, Japan) fell below 50%. [Read the full article]

Chicago, IL" March 17, 2010" Today Zacks.com features the Top 5 Growth funds;  Fidelity Mid Cap Growth (NASDAQ: FSMGX - News), Yacktman Focused (NASDAQ: YAFFX - News), Lifetime Achievement (NASDAQ: LFTAX - News), Van Kampen Equity Growth A (NASDAQ: VEGAX - News) and Fairholme Fund (NASDAQ: FAIRX - News).

These Growth funds are given our highest rating; Zacks #1 Ranked Strong Buys. That means we expect these funds to outperform their peers in the future.

Zacks.com provides exclusive ratings on over 18,000 funds in 42 different categories. To learn more about Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, click here. http://at.zacks.com/?id=6760

Fidelity Mid Cap Growth (NASDAQ: FSMGX - News) seeks capital appreciation over the long term. At least 80% of its assets are invested in mid-cap companies identical to those in the Russell Midcap index or S&P MidCap 400 index. It is a no load fund and invests in both domestic and foreign securities. [Read the full article]

Chicago, IL " March 17, 2010" Four free stock picks are being made available today on Zacks.com. The industry 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: Ingram Micro Inc , Phillips Van Heusen , Sara Lee Corp. and China Integrated Energy, Inc. .

Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Four daily picks are offered free at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5607

Zacks #1 Rank Stocks have nearly tripled the S&P 500 since 1988, producing an average annual return of +26%. 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%. [Read the full article]

It was hard to miss in the Chinese equity markets last year as Shanghai Composite Index soared by 80% amid government stimulus and lofty speculation. Meanwhile, Chinese property prices were up by an average 10.7% year-over-year in February, and according to the Financial Times, some think the official statistic grossly understates the massive inflation in "prime properties," where prices may have risen by 50% to 100% since last year. By some accounts, China is turning into one massive investment bubble, which former Long-Term Capital Management general counsel James Rickards could be "the greatest bubble in history."

That's a pretty scary prospect for U.S.-listed components of the China Stocks and ADRs Index, many of which have shot up in multiples over the past year. [Read the full article]