Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Apple Computer, Safeway, Yahoo!, Freescale Semiconductor, and Intel

Business Wire, July 20, 2006

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the July 20 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks are Apple Computer (NASDAQ:AAPL), Safeway (NYSE:SWY), Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO), Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL), and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC). Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks is just one of the many free market commentaries written every day 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, July 20, 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 - 1,253.87) as well as the bottom-20 names. Featured along with this table will be news that is moving some of the securities, including a look at Apple Computer.

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

After a monster day yesterday, the SPX has given back almost half a percent. At the moment, only 178 of the 500 components of the SPX are ahead.

Apple Computer (NASDAQ:AAPL) leads the way into the SPX winner's circle today. After the close yesterday, the company reported third-quarter results, with a profit of $472 million, or 54 cents per share, an increase of 47.5 percent from the same period last year. Revenue rose 24 percent to $4.37 billion from $3.52 billion in the year-ago period. Analysts were blown away, as expectations were for a profit of 44 cents per share. The company also issued a fourth-quarter forecast that lagged the Street estimate. The stock was up more than 12 percent at last check. It gapped higher on the open, leaping above its 10-week moving average for the first time since mid-May.

Safeway (NYSE:SWY) reported second-quarter earnings of 42 cents per share, easily beating the Reuters consensus estimate of 36 cents per share. Revenue climbed 6.8 percent to $9.4 billion, beating the $9.25 billion consensus estimate. SWY gave guidance for fiscal 2006, with earnings in the range $1.65 to 1.75 per share, ahead of the $1.62 consensus.

Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) took a tumble of almost 22 percent yesterday, but the stock is one of the leaders on the SPX this afternoon, as bargain hunters step in. The stock is still testing support in the 25 region. I had to look hard for trendline support, eventually finding YHOO at its ascending 50-month moving average.

Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) is due to report second-quarter earnings after the close this afternoon. The company was originally spun off from Motorola (MOT), which reported strong second-quarter results late yesterday. Analysts expect FSL to report second-quarter earnings of 49 cents per share on $1.55 billion in sales.

On the downside, late yesterday Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) reported that its second-quarter profit fell to $885 million, or 15 cents per share. Meanwhile, sales fell 10 percent to $8 billion from the last year. Analysts were looking for a profit of 13 cents per share on revenue of $8.3 billion. The report marked INTC's weakest quarterly performance since 2004. The firm also offered up a softer-than-expected sales forecast for the current quarter. At last check, the stock was down more than five percent. A.G. Edwards and UBS both reiterated the stock at "buy" this morning, a piece of advice that probably provided little cheer to those who have already taken it.

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=16455 .

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=16455 .

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About Schaeffer's Investment Research (www.SchaeffersResearch.com)

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 .