Schaeffer's Market Leaders and Laggards Features TXU Corp., Quicksilver Resources, J. Jill, Home Depot, and Citigroup.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the April 8 edition of Schaeffer's Market Leaders and Laggards are TXU Corp. (NYSE:TXU), Quicksilver Resources (NYSE:KWK), J. Jill (NASDAQ:JILL), Home Depot (NYSE:HD), and Citigroup (NYSE:C). Schaeffer's Market Leaders and Laggards screener is just one of the many features written every day at http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com - the home of Bernie Schaeffer and Schaeffer's Investment Research. The information used to compile this commentary is derived from the Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard Filter. Below is a quick overview of some of the heavy hitters that are seeing some particularly high or low rankings. For a complete list of the stocks on our High/Low Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard Filter, sign up for an unlimited access free trial to Schaeffer's Gold. http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PRGLD2M&PAGE=1.

Schaeffer's Market Leaders and Laggards for Friday, April 8, 2005:

TXU Corp. (NYSE:TXU) - Ranking 8.0

According to Hoover's, TXU is the largest nonregulated retail electric provider in the Lone Star State. TXU shares have been drilling higher for the past 18 months, rallying solidly higher above the support of their 10-week moving average. Since November 2003, the stock has tacked on more than 300 percent. A shorter-term view reveals that TXU recently overcame the 80 mark, which had acted as resistance throughout March. In Thursday's trading, the stock notched a new all-time peak. While price action is inarguably solid on the stock, signs of continued skepticism are benefiting the equity's Equity Scorecard rank as well. There are currently 21 million TXU shares sold short, amounting to nearly nine percent of the equity's float. What's more, it would take almost nine days for all of the bearish speculators to cover these shorted positions. Short-covering activity has already begun in earnest, with shorted shares declining by 28 percent during the past month. A continued short squeeze is likely to add fuel to the security's upward drive. Options players are taking a fairly inconsequential stance on the shares. Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) for TXU stands at 0.84, in the 57th annual percentile of the past year's readings. Additionally, while 10 of 17 brokerage firms name TXU a "buy," any and all of the seven firms holding out with "hold" ratings could be coerced into an upgrade as the stock sits at all-time highs.

Click on the following link to see the Weekly Chart of TXU since November 2003 with 10-Week and 20-Week Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12908.

Quicksilver Resources (NYSE:KWK) - Ranking 9.0

Oil-and-gas producer KWK has maintained a gradual but colossal uptrend since August 2003, nearly quintupling in value over this time frame. Last month, the stock suffered a slight pullback as it digested some gains. KWK eventually found its footing at double-bottom support near the 45 mark and has gone on to enter uncharted territory. The shares are also trading back above former support from their 10-day and 20-day moving averages. Along with the stock, KWK's SOIR reading has been on the rise since late February. This is a bit counterintuitive, as a rising SOIR implies that bearishly configured put positions are increasingly popular compared to their bullishly configured call counterparts. Short sellers continue to maintain a fairly solid presence on the stock, with 4.9 million shorted shares, or about 11 percent of the equity's total float. This is even after a 12.9-percent decline in KWK shorts last month. At the stock's current average daily volume, it would take about eight days' worth of trading to eradicate all of the remaining shorted bets. KWK also stands to benefit from some brokerage upgrades. The latest Zacks (www.Zacks.com) data indicates that KWK boasts six "buy" ratings, nine "holds" and a solitary "sell" designation.

Click on the following link to see the Daily Chart of KWK since January 2005 with 10-Day and 20-Day Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12908.

J. Jill (NASDAQ:JILL) - Ranking 3.0

JILL hasn't been climbing up many hills of late. Hoover's reports that the upscale women's retailer operates largely through catalog, Internet and retail-outlet operations. The firm does have an aggressive plan to add more stores throughout the country. JILL has been mired in a downward spiral for about 10 months, surrendering almost half of its value since early June of last year. From a longer-term perspective, the stock's overhead 20-month moving average is forging a cross of its 10-month trendline, a move which is typically a harbinger of continued lackluster price action. Options activity is scant on the retailer, but what speculative activity that has transpired has been largely centered on call strikes. SOIR for JILL stands at 0.51, in the 40th annual percentile. Short sellers are potentially trying to call an end to the security's decline. Last month, the number of shorted JILL shares dropped by 15 percent to 0.7 million, with the remaining bets taking slightly more than one day's worth of trading to cover. On the analysts' ratings front, there is a dearth of "sell" ratings on JILL, combined with five "holds" and three "buy" ratings.

Click on the following link to see the Weekly Chart of JILL since June 2004 with 10-Week and 20-Week Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12908.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) - Ranking 3.0

Home-improvement retailer and Dow component Home Depot had edged below its 20-month moving average. Technically speaking, this is quite a feat, as HD has not closed beneath this trendline since September 2003. The equity's latest downtrend eventually began in mid-November. In mid-February, the stock moved solidly below its 10-week and 20-week moving averages, which then completed a bearish crossover. HD is now trading at levels not seen since early September. There are signs of complacency lingering on the shares, which lowers its Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard grade. For example, the security's short-interest ratio is at its lowest point since December 2003 at 2.3. About 18.5 million shares, or less than one percent of the stock's available float, is currently sold on the short side. Options players are a tad more cautious, as suggested by the equity's SOIR of 0.71, in the 71st annual percentile. Wall Street is keeping the "Home" fires burning, with 11 "buy" and "strong buy" ratings. There are 10 "holds" on the stock and one lonely "sell."

Click on the following link to see the Weekly Chart of HD since October 2004 with 10-Week and 20-Week Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12908&obspage=2.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) - Ranking 3.0

C is the world's largest financial firm, according to Hoover's. Options players are notably skeptical on C, as epitomized by the current SOIR rating of 1.40, which means there are 140 open put positions in the front three-month options series, for every 100 open calls. This reading is higher than all but five percent of the past year's worth of SOIR data, but has fallen lower from its annual high of 1.79 achieved on March 23. While the options community is camped in bearish territory, short sellers are definitely more complacent on the stock. Shorted C shares declined by 16 percent last month to 32 million. This translates into just over half a percent of the stock's float, and a short-interest ratio of 2.54 days to cover. Wall Street is similarly cheery toward the financial-services giant, with 14 "buy" ratings compared to just two "holds" and one outright "sell." Technically speaking, C notched a short-term high near the 50 mark in early February but subsequently entered a downtrend. The stock's 10-day and 20-day moving averages have proceeded to guide the stock lower, including a harsh rebuff at the site of the latter trendline in today's trading. Next Friday morning, C is scheduled for a turn in the earnings confessional. Analysts are targeting first-quarter results of $1.02 per share, a four-cent improvement over year-ago figures.

Click on the following link to see the Daily Chart of C since January 2005 with 10-Day and 20-Day Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=12908&obspage=2.

For a complete list of the stocks on our High/Low Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard Filter, sign up for an unlimited access free trial to Schaeffer's Gold. http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PRGLD2M&PAGE=1.

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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.