Here are three stocks with buy rank and strong income characteristics for investors to consider today, April 7th:

CalMaine Foods CALM: This company which is primarily engaged in the production, grading, packing and sale of fresh shell eggs, including conventional, cage-free, organic and nutritionally-enhanced eggs, has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 46.2% over the last 60 days.

This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company has a dividend yield of 6.5%, compared with the industry average of 0.9%.

Avista AVA: This energy company which is involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses, has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing nearly 4.4% over the last 60 days.

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 4.8%, compared with the industry average of 3.1%.

Potlatch PCH: This company which is a certified forest practices leader, and is committed to providing superior returns to stockholders through long-term stewardship of its forest resources, has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing nearly 5.3% over the last 60 days.

This Zacks Rank #1 company has a dividend yield of 4.5%, compared with the industry average of 1.2%.

See the full list of top ranked stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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