AFL AFLAC Inc

MORNING UPDATE: Mankus-Lavelle Group issues alerts for NXTL, AFL, SWKS, AGN, and ABX CHICAGO, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Mankus-Lavelle Group issues the following Morning Update at 8:30 AM EDT with new PriceWatch Alerts for key stocks. Before the open... PriceWatch Alerts for NXTL, AFL, SWKS, AGN, and ABX, Market Overview, Today's Economic Calendar, and the Quote Of The Day. QUOTE OF THE DAY "U.S. consumer spending is too high and U.S. savings are too low." -- Richard Franulovich, senior currency strategist, WestPac Banking Corp. New PriceWatch Alerts for NXTL, AFL, SWKS, AGN, and ABX... PRICEWATCH ALERTS - HIGH RETURN COVERED CALL OPTIONS ----------- -- NEXTEL Communications. Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) Last Price 28.99 - AUG 27.50 CALL OPTION@ $2.70 -> 4.6 % Return assigned* -- AFLAC Inc. (NYSE:AFL) Last Price 39.63 - AUG 40.00 CALL OPTION@ $1.55 -> 5.0 % Return assigned* -- SkyWorks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) Last Price 5.28 - AUG 5.00 CALL OPTION@ $0.70 -> 9.2 % Return assigned* -- Allergan Inc. (NYSE:AGN) Last Price 70.32 - OCT 65.00 CALL OPTION@ $8.20 -> 4.6 % Return assigned* -- Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE:ABX) Last Price 21.89 - OCT 20.00 CALL OPTION@ $2.75 -> 4.5 % Return assigned* * To learn more about how to use these alerts and for our FREE report, "The 18 Warning Signs That Tell You When To Dump A Stock ", go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/mu18 (Note: You may need to copy the link above into your browser then press the [ENTER] key) ** For the FREE report, "Is Your Investment Portfolio Disaster Proof? - Insights, Stocks, And Strategies." go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/FREEDP NOTE: All stocks and options shown are examples only. These are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. NEWS LEADERS AND LAGGARDS So far today, Procter & Gamble Co., Aetna Inc., and Black & Decker Corp. lead the list of companies with the most news stories while Hanover Compressor and Hercules Inc. are showing a spike in news. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., Dow Chemical Co., and Alcatel have the highest srtIndex scores to top the list of companies with positive news while Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and Beazer Homes USA Inc. lead the list of companies with negative news reports. Starbucks Corp. has popped up with a high positive news sraIndex score. For the FREE article titled, "Earnings Season Decoded - An Essential 15 Point Checklist For Finding Winning Stocks." go to: http://www.wallstreetsecretsplus.com/go/freemu/ MARKET OVERVIEW Spanning the globe, Asian indexes were mixed today, as oil producing companies were hit hard by the drop in crude futures. The morning saw a sharp drop after data showed that Japanese industrial data fell short of previous forecasts. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry kicked the morning off by announcing that Japanese industrial production fell 0.3 percent in March from February. Despite this disappointing data, the industrial output was up 1.7 percent in the January-March quarter from the previous quarter, this was the first rise in the past three quarters. The Nikkei 225 Average scratched ahead by 0.03 percent, reclaiming the 11,000 level to finish at 11,008.90. In Europe, shares moved higher, breaking two straight declining sessions, thanks to a lift from crude oil prices. The day was dominated by news from the telecom, drug, and chemical sectors. U.S. stock futures have drifted lower this morning as the markets are getting ready for the first estimate of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Analysts believe that the pace of growth will decline after yesterday's larger-than-expected drop in durable goods orders. The consensus estimate is for 3.5 percent GDP growth, with some forecasts coming in closer to three percent. Be prepared for the investing week ahead with Bernie Schaeffer's FREE Monday Morning Outlook. For more details and to sign up, go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/freemo DYNAMIC MARKET OPPORTUNITIES If a study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) holds true, more graduates will be smiling in 2005. According to the group's research, US employers plan to boost their hiring of college grads by over 13% this year. That would mark the second straight year in which the figure has risen, and would be the best annual growth since 2001. While that wouldn't be close to the level of hiring that occurred during the heady days of the dotcom bubble, the good news is that there appears to be a number of positions available across the board. Students graduating with English degrees or other arts subjects are enjoying success, as well as biology and history majors. The computer programming, teaching and nursing fields are also plucking more freshly-graduated college kids. Elsewhere, the Russian economy slowed during the first quarter - but not by much. Following excellent 7.4% expansion in Q1 2004, the economy maintained its solid performance, chalking up 4.9% growth during the first quarter. The growth came late, thanks to a 5.1% surge in March alone, compared with March 2004. Following 7.1% GDP growth in 2004, the Ministry of Economic Development expects 6.5% this year. Solid economic growth is also imminent for Brazil and Mexico this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Thanks to burgeoning markets both at home and abroad, the IMF raised Brazil's GDP growth from 3.2% to 3.7%, and Mexico's expansion to 3.5% following a rate of 3.3% last year. With stronger growth to come, the IMF then called on the region to cash in by reducing debt levels. Read more analysis from the 247Profits Group every trading day with the FREE 247Profits e-Dispatch, featuring insightful economic commentary, profitable investment recommendations, and full access to a leading team of financial experts. Register for free here: http://www.247profits.com/enter.html TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR 8:30 A.M. 1Q Advance GDP (+3.8%) 8:30 A.M. April 23 Initial Jobless Claims (-36K) 9:00 A.M. Kansas City Fed President Hoenig speaks at an Entrepreneurs' Exchange economic forum in Kansas City 10:00 A.M. March Conference Board Help-Wanted Index (unchanged) 10:00 A.M. April 16 DJ-BTM Business Barometer (+0.5%) 4:30 P.M. April 23 Money Supply The Mankus Lavelle Group is an independent brokerage branch of brokersXpress, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. The Mankus Lavelle Group has some of the most experienced, respected options professionals in the industry. Both novice option investors and experienced traders are attracted to MLG. Less experienced investors appreciate Mankus Lavelle Group's friendly expert guidance while more seasoned investors value Mankus Lavelle Group's highly trained staff of option experts. To improve your understanding of options get a free option kit at: http://www.mlgos.com/. If you are familiar with stock investing but not sure what options can do for you, call 1-800-230-5570 for a FREE 3-point portfolio check up. Securities offered through brokersXpress, LLC Member NASD/SPIC. Corporate Office: 39 South LaSalle Street o Suite 220 o Chicago, Illinois 60603-1608 brokersXpressSM is the online broker-dealer for independent reps and advisors. Powered by the award-winning technology of optionsXpress(R), its parent company, brokersXpress provides a leading-edge trading platform particularly powerful for reps and advisors who employ option strategies. For more information on how partnering with brokersXpress can empower your business to new levels, contact us confidentially by e-mail at . Member NASD/SPIC. CRD# 127081 This Morning Update was prepared with data and information provided by: InvestorsObserver.com - Better Strategies for Making Money -> For Investors With a Sense of Humor. Only $1 for your first month plus seven free bonuses worth over $420, see: http://www.investorsobserver.com/must Quote.com QCharts- Real time quotes and streaming technical charts to keep you up with the market. Analyze, predict, and stay ahead. For a Free 30 day trial go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/MUQuote2 247profits.com: You'll get exclusive financial commentary, access to a global network of experts and undiscovered stock alerts. Register NOW for the FREE 247profits e-Dispatch. Go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/TPA Schaeffer's Investment Research - Sign up for your FREE e-weekly, Monday Morning Outlook, Bernie Schaeffer's look ahead at the markets. Sign Up Now http://www.investorsobserver.com/freemo PowerOptionsPlus - The Best Way To Find, Compare, Analyze, and Make Money On Options Investments. For a 14-Day FREE trial and 5 FREE bonuses go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/poweropt All stocks and options shown are examples only. These are not recommendations to buy or sell any security and they do not represent in any way a positive or negative outlook for any security. Potential returns do not take into account your trade size, brokerage commissions or taxes which will affect actual investment returns. Stocks and options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors and investing in options carries substantial risk. Prior to buying or selling options, a person must receive a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options available from Michael at 800-230-5570 or at http://www.cboe.com/Resources/Intro.asp. Privacy policy available upon request. DATASOURCE: Mankus-Lavelle Group CONTACT: Mike Lavelle of Mankus-Lavelle Group, +1-800-230-5570

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