Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Office Max, Newell Rubbermaid, Sanmina-SCI, Aetna, and Humana

Business Wire, April 27, 2006

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the April 27 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks are Office Max (NYSE:OMX), Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE:NWL), Sanmina-SCI (NASDAQ:SANM), Aetna (NYSE:AET), and Humana (NYSE:HUM). 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=PRSHS12M&PAGE=1 .

Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks for Thursday, April 27, 2006:

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 - 1,309.57) 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.

The SPX had advanced 0.32 percent at last check. Early this morning, the index dipped below the 1,300 level for the first time since April 18, before recovering. Currently, 63 percent of the SPX members are in positive territory.

Office Max (NYSE:OMX) reported first-quarter results that showed a wider net loss but an increase in operating profits that beat the Street estimate. Earnings were 77 cents per share excluding items, 44 better than the Reuters consensus of 33 cents per share. Revenues rose 4.3 percent to $2.42 billion, beating the $2.34 billion consensus. The stock was the leader on the SPX when we grabbed our figures, up more than 15 percent.

Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE:NWL) was the second-strongest SPX stock after the firm reported first-quarter results. Income from continuing operations was $129.9 million, or 47 cents per share, compared to $89.4 million, or 33 cents per share a year ago. Net sales were $1.48 billion, compared to $1.36 billion in the prior year, an increase of 8.9 percent.

Sanmina-SCI (NASDAQ:SANM) was a big winner yesterday, and featured in this column after the company reported a narrower second-quarter loss of $103.4 million, or 20 cents per share, compared to the year-earlier loss of $1.06 billion, or $1.99 per share. RBC Capital Markets reiterated the stock at "underperform." The stock gained very nearly 26 percent yesterday, and it was up another 4.9 percent when we grabbed our figures today although there is no fresh news on the wires.

Turning to the stocks that have fallen on the day, Aetna (NYSE:AET) posted first-quarter earnings of 68 cents per share this morning. The health-care firm's operating earnings came in at 64 cents per share, one cent better than expectations. The company also upped its 2006 forecast to a range of $2.74 to $2.76 from $2.71 to $2.74. Unfortunately, AET was hit with a first-quarter, medical-cost ratio of 79.4 percent in its main commercial business. This ratio is higher than last year's 77.9 percent. Piling on the news, AET's Chief Financial Office Alan M. Bennet announced that he will retire on October 1 and that Executive Chairman John Rowe will also retire on that date. Furthermore, AET was hit with a downgrade from Citigroup and Merrill Lynch.

Finally, Humana (NYSE:HUM) looks a bit sickly today although there's no news on the wires about that particular company. The entire sector is under pressure. HUM was down more than six percent when we grabbed our figures.

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=15890 .

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=15890 .

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Schaeffer's Investment Research, founded by Bernie Schaeffer in 1981, is a financial information and trading resources company. It publishes Bernie Schaeffer's Option Advisor, the nation's leading options subscription newsletter. The firm's contrarian approach focuses on stocks with technical and fundamental trends that run counter to investor expectations. The firm's website, http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com , is recognized as one of the leading information sources for stock and options traders and was cited as the top options website by both Forbes and Barron's. Click here for more details about Schaeffer's trading methodology: http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com/method .