Business Wire: Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Office Depot, Yahoo!, Unocal, Cater

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the March 14 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks includes Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO), Unocal (NYSE:UCL), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), and American International Group (NYSE:AIG). 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=PRSHS1M&PAGE=1.

Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks for Monday, March 14, 2005:

A daily feature available on SchaeffersResearch.com is the "SPX Hot Stocks" column. Each afternoon immediately prior to the close, we will provide a list of the day's top-20 performing stocks in the S&P 500 Index (SPX - 1,201.26) as well as the bottom-20 names. Featured along with this table will be news that is moving some of the shares.

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

The SPX is struggling to hold onto key support at the 1,200 level in afternoon trading today. A fresh batch of merger and acquisition news and a round of CEO roulette were outweighed by rising inflation and interest-rate fears, as the broad-market indicator is down slightly from its early session highs. However, with less than an hour to go in this Monday's session, roughly 66 percent of the SPX's components are trading in positive territory.

Office Depot (NYSE:ODP) joined in the widespread CEO swap that took place today, naming former AutoZone (AZO) CEO Steve Odland as CEO and chairman. While ODP is up more than seven percent on the day, AZO has dipped more than 12 percent following its report that same-store sales dropped by seven percent during the third quarter.

Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) rallied more than three percent following a Deutsche Bank upgrade to "buy" from "hold." The brokerage firm cited the first price improvement in three years for PBG in Northern Mexico. The stock was last seen up 95 cents at $28.66.

Mellon Financial (MEL) is reportedly in talks with Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) for the sale of its outsourcing unit, according to a story on the Dow Jones Newswire. Elsewhere, Sandler O'Neill upgraded the firm to "buy" from "hold." MEL has rallied 2.87 percent to $29.74 so far today.

Genzyme (GENZ) received a bit of a boost today as Piper Jaffray reiterated its "outperform" rating on the firm, noting that the recent weakens in the biotechnology sector places GENZ at an attractive valuation. On the news, GENZ has added nearly three percent and was last seen trading near $57.12.

Unocal (NYSE:UCL) could shortly find itself at the center of a bidding war, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal. Italian oil giant Enersis SA (ENI) is reportedly "taking a hard look" at making an offer for the U.S.-based oil and natural gas company. The speculation has sent UCL shares skipping more than two percent higher so far today.

Williams Companies (WMB) has gained nearly three percent on an upgrade to "overweight" from "neutral" by J.P. Morgan. Shares of WMB were last seen up 50 cents at 18.39.

Semiconductor concern LSI Logic (LSI) joined the mid-quarter update fray this morning, lifting its first-quarter revenue guidance to $420-$415 million to $420-$435 million. The firm cited strength in both its consumer and storage components behind the improved forecast. At last check, LSI was up 1.82 percent at $6.17.

American International Group (NYSE:AIG) is placing a bit of undue stress on the SPX and the Dow Jones Industrial Average today. The firm was yet another participant in the game of CEO roulette taking place this Monday morning, announcing that Maurice R. Greenberg could step down as CEO as early as tonight following the mounting concern over rising regulatory inquiries. AIG has shed more than one percent to $63.65 as a result.

Nucor (NUE) was last seen down 83 cents at $61.72 after Prudential reiterated its "underweight" rating on the firm.

Shares of Cooper Tire & Rubber (CTB) are faltering today after the company halted production at its Texarkana, Arkansas plant, following a labor strike that went into effect on Sunday. The United Steelworkers Local 752L stated that the dispute centered on healthcare costs and job security, and involved about 1,400 employees. CTB has slipped 50 cents, or 2.54 percent, to $19.22 on the news.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) was yet anther blue-chip stock dipping to the bottom of the SPX today. Legg Mason cocooned the stock at a "hold" rating, cutting CAT from its previous position at a "buy." While the brokerage firm stated that CAT's short-term valuation and sales growth seem fine, it noted that the company's margins appear troublesome. CAT was last seen down $2.45, or 2.47 percent, at $96.55.

Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is slipping lower today on what would seem to be a "buy on the rumor, sell on the news" event. Research In Motion (RIMM) announced today that the company's wildly popular Blackberry would carry YHOO's messenger service. However, the search-engine guru's shares have slipped 84 cents, or 2.62 percent, to stand at $30.88 with less than an hour until the closing bell.

Finally, Symbol Technologies (SBL) is suffering a bit of a brokerage blitz this afternoon, and has shed 60 cents, or 3.90 percent, to trade at $14.79 as a result. Baird slashed the firm to "neutral" from "outperform" earlier today, while Thomas Weisel reiterated the shares at "peer perform."

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top 20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12724

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top 20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12724

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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.