David Fried Recommends the Following Stocks: Delphi Corporation, OfficeMax, and SuperGen

Business Wire, Jan 13, 2003

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 2003

The investment climate is currently positive, and there's no better way to ensure strong returns in the new year than by investing in companies that are buying back shares. Let market expert David Fried explain the benefits of such stocks by viewing some of his portfolio entries. Read about Delphi Corporation (NYSE:DPH), OfficeMax (NYSE:OMX), and SuperGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUPG). Click here for the full story exclusively on Zacks.com: http://featuredexpert2bw.zacks.com/

Here are the highlights from the Featured Expert column:

Three of David Fried's seven indicators are positive (inflation, yield, yield curve), while four indicators are neutral (The Fed, valuation, earnings and investor sentiment). The indicators are telling him that the investment climate is positive at this time.

Portfolio News Briefs

Delphi Corporation (NYSE:DPH) said it expects earnings to grow about 17% next year, beating Wall Street forecasts, due to cost-cutting from its restructuring and stronger sales. Delphi's continuing restructuring, which included plans to cut 6,100 jobs this year, has reduced its costs, lowered its break-even point and helped boost profits. The company said it expects to earn $1.06 per share in 2003, topping Wall Street forecasts of $0.95 as compiled by Thomson First Call. It forecast that revenue would rise 2% to 3% to $28 billion, from a projected range of $27.3 billion to $27.4 billion in 2002.

OfficeMax (NYSE:OMX) reported that November sales had increased 8.3% on a same store basis. Additionally, sales for the Friday after Thanksgiving were just under $30 million, 50% over plan and almost double the volume of the same shopping day last year. The company also said holiday sales at its stores open at least a year met its expectations, rising more than 10%, on increased purchases of items such as digital cameras. OfficeMax said it still expects to be profitable for the fiscal year ending on Jan. 25. The company, which operates about 1,000 stores, said the holiday period was its best in 3 years.

SuperGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUPG) said that U.S. regulators have given its drug for pediatric bone marrow transplants so-called "orphan" status, a designation that gives a company additional marketing rights because of the small number of patients who need a potentially life-saving treatment. Because of the designation, SuperGen will be entitled to 7 years of market exclusivity from the time the treatment receives FDA marketing approval.

View all the stocks in David Fried's various portfolios and learn how to outpace the market on both the short- and long-term basis by clicking: http://featuredexpert3bw.zacks.com/

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