Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Robert Half International, BB&T Corporation, Harley Davidson, HCA Inc., and Abbot Laboratories

Business Wire, July 13, 2005

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the July 13 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks are Robert Half International (NYSE:RHI), BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT), Harley Davidson (NYSE:HDI), HCA Inc. (NYSE:HCA), and Abbot Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks is just one of the many free market commentaries written everyday at www.SchaeffersResearch.com - the home of Bernie Schaeffer and Schaeffer's Investment Research. For additional information about this report or to have it delivered to you free via email every day click on the following link. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PRSHS1M&PAGE=1

Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks for Wednesday, July 13, 2005:

A daily feature available on SchaeffersResearch.com is the "SPX Hot Stocks" column. Each afternoon, we will provide a list of the day's top-20 performing stocks in the S&P 500 Index (SPX - 1,223.07) as well as the bottom-20 names. Featured along with this table will be news that is moving some of the securities.

NOTE: Stocks trading under $5 per share have been eliminated from this listing of the top-20 and bottom-20 performing stocks.

With more than an hour left in the trading session, the SPX has been able to fight back from some early sluggishness. This has allowed the index to continue to mount an offensive on the 1,225 level. The SPX has found some support from the 1,220 level. Today's continuation of the recent uptrend for the SPX has brought its 10-day moving average into position to complete a bullish cross of its 20-day moving average. Should this happen, the SPX may find enough support to blast higher through the 1,225 level and set a four-year high.

There's no half-steppin' at the top of the hot stocks chart today. Thanks to an analyst upgrade to "strong buy" from "neutral," Robert Half International (NYSE:RHI) has tacked on more than six percent in trading. At one point, the staffing specialist had jumped more than nine percent. The reason for the upgrade was the fact that RHI has an attractive price, and there are big changes in store for the services sector. The covering analyst noted that RHI "has the visibility to return to its pre-2001 operating margins."

BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT) is next on our hot stocks list, after reporting that second-quarter net income dropped. This year's second quarter came in at 70 cents per share, down from 72 cents per share in last year's second quarter. Excluding an accounting adjustment, the Winston-Salem based bank would have earned 75 cents per share, matching the consensus estimate. BBT has tacked on more than two percent in trading today.

Rounding out the stocks on the upside, we have Harley Davidson (NYSE:HDI). The manufacturer of macho motorcycling madness saw its second quarter earnings come in at 84 cents per share. The Street had expected 79 cents per share from the company. Revenue came in at $1.33 billion, also beating the Street's estimate. HDI also raised its 2005 earnings growth forecast to 10 to 13 percent from five to eight percent. HDI has gained more than two percent in trading thus far today.

The fickle fate of forecasting wasn't as kind to HCA Inc. (NYSE:HCA) today. The company has lost nearly nine percent after guiding second-quarter earnings between 88 and 92 cents per share. This forecast included a gain of 11 cents per share thanks to a favorable tax settlement, four cents per share thanks to a previously deferred gain, five cents per share from a reduction in professional liability insurance reserves, and a charge of four cents from depreciation expense. Taking all of these charges into account, and HCA's forecast comes in between 72 to 76 cents per share for the quarter. The consensus is expecting a profit of 77 cents per share from the company.

The final company in our hot stocks discussion today leaves me wanting to ask the age old question, "Who's on first?" Abbot Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) most definitely is not the answer today. ABT has lost more than four percent after announcing second-quarter earnings. The earnings came in higher than last year and inched past the Street's estimates, but the company forecast third-quarter earnings of 56 to 58 cents per share. The consensus estimate for the company's third-quarter earnings stands at 60 cents per share. ABT expects $200 million of its $215 million in restructuring charges to hit during the third quarter.

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=13619 .

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=13619 .

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