Zacks Industry Rank Analysis is written by Charles Rotblut, CFA, Senior Market Analyst for Zacks.com.

This week: Enrollment Rises For Education Companies

Identifying industries with positive trends has become increasingly difficult because of the ongoing recession. Even industries with several positive estimate revisions aren't shining that brightly.

To be fair, there are some that still standout, such as Schools (http://at.zacks.com/?id=4952), but they are more of the exception than the rule. Out of the more than 200 industry groups that Zacks tracks, just 19 have more positive revisions than negative revisions during the past 4 weeks.

Even among those 19 groups, things are not quite what they seem.

For example, Medical-Biomed/Genetics (http://at.zacks.com/?id=4967) has 101 positive revisions and 100 negative revisions. Numerically positive, but nothing to write home about.

This is not to say that there aren't positive stories within this group.

Last week, Myriad Genetics (Nasdaq: MYGN) topped expectations by 10 cents with profits of 43 cents per share. It was the second quarter of profitability. Total revenues increased 48.7% to $84.4 million, driven primarily by an increase in sales and marketing efforts.

More than half of the covering brokerage analysts raised their forecasts in response, pushing the fiscal 2009 consensus earnings estimate 22 cents higher to $1.63 per share.

Other industry groups are benefiting from their small size.

Food-Flour & Grain (http://at.zacks.com/?id=5091) has just one company, Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM). As I stated last week, the company topped fiscal second-quarter estimates by 22 cents with profits of 91 cents per share.

More than half of the 9 covering brokerage analysts raised their forecasts in response, pushing the fiscal 2009 consensus earnings estimate 10 cents higher to $3.57 per share.

In fact, many of the food-related industry groups encompass a small number of companies. When looked at separately, it may seem like there is not a sector trend, but when the similar groups are put together, a broad picture of positive business momentum emerges.

For example, a week after ADM's bullish report, Dean Foods (NYSE: DF) surprised to the upside. The dairy company earned 46 cents per share, versus expectations for 39 cents per share.