Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today, Dec. 17:The Allstate Corporation (ALL) : This insurance company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 22.7% over the last 60 days.Allstate has a PEG ratio of 0.40 compared with 1.75 for the industry. The company possesses a  Growth Score of B.Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) : This dredging services company carries a Za ...