Dain Rauscher Wessels Report Says Online Commerce Growth and Life Changing Internet Models Likely to Revive Investor Interest.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2000

"When the dust settles, I believe investors will be aggressively looking for opportunities to participate in the e-commerce growth ahead," said George Sutton, equity analyst at Dain Rauscher Wessels. The online commerce market is expected to grow from less than 1 percent of total retail sales last year to nearly 7 percent by 2004 -- a compound growth rate of 56 percent, according to Forrester Research. In comparison, Sutton estimates traditional store-based models will grow 3 to 5 percent over the same period.

Sutton recently issued a report, "Why You Should Focus on a Handful of E-Commerce Players -- While the Market Is Not," which details the success stories that will likely come from a few online commerce categories. "In the public market, as it currently stands, three names account for 80 percent of the online commerce market capitalization. Own those three and investors have a healthy proxy for the group," he said. The biggest winners in the group, however, will come from the "life changing Internet models," many of which are profiled in the report.

Sutton's 40-page report cites various reasons why now is the time to invest in e-commerce:

-- The market has painted the online commerce players with a

generic negative brush. In this environment, those who

identify and invest in the top business models should pay

reasonable prices for the best business models.

-- The lack of new capital will begin to impact the marginal

players.

-- The market will likely migrate to the dramatic growth being

posted by a number of the market players.

-- There are factors that should continue to improve. The number

of online shoppers should continue to grow. Access speeds

should continue to improve the shopping experience.

Institutional investors interested in receiving Sutton's report or more information should contact their Dain Rauscher Wessels salesperson. Media interested in receiving the report should call 612-371-7752.

The Dain Rauscher Wessels division includes equity research, equity trading, institutional equity sales and corporate finance. The division's 40 analysts focus on five industries: consumer, energy, services, health care and technology. Currently, the analysts follow more than 400 companies. The division, which employs 350 people, has offices in Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Menlo Park, Calif.; Minneapolis; New York City; San Francisco; Seattle; and Tel Aviv, Israel(a).

Minneapolis-based Dain Rauscher Incorporated provides investment services to individual investors and small businesses through offices in 26 predominantly western states, investment banking services to corporations and municipalities nationwide, and trade clearing and settlement services to non-affiliated broker-dealers throughout the United States and abroad. Dain Rauscher Incorporated, one of the nation's largest full-service securities firms, is a member of the New York Stock Exchange and other major securities exchanges, as well as the Securities Investor Protection Corp. Dain Rauscher Corporation, its holding company, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DRC. The company's headquarters are located at Dain Rauscher Plaza, 60 S. Sixth St.

Additional information on the securities mentioned is available on request. This does not purport to be a complete statement of all material facts related to any company, industry, or security mentioned. The information provided, while not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness, has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. The opinions expressed reflect our judgment at this time and are subject to change without notice and may or may not be updated. DRI, its officers, directors, affiliates, and/or employees (including the authors of this report) may from time to time have a long or short position in publicly or privately issued securities of companies mentioned or derivatives thereof and may sell or buy such securities for their own or related accounts. This notice shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which said offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

(a)Strategic alliance with Tamir Fishman & Co.