Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Archer-Daniels-Midland, Chiron, Phelps Dodge, RadioShack, and Bausch & Lomb.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the April 3 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks are Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM), Chiron (NASDAQ:CHIR), Phelps Dodge (NYSE:PD), RadioShack (NYSE:RSH), and Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL). Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks is just one of the many free market commentaries written everyday 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 Monday, April 3, 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 - 1,295.86) as well as the bottom-20 names. Featured along with this table will be news that is moving some of the securities.

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

Merger-and-acquisition news, along with some tame economic data, have helped lift U.S. market averages higher to begin April in fine form. The SPX has rallied nearly one percent to easily overtake the 1,300 mark, while the Nasdaq Composite (COMP - 2,351.0) and the Russell 2000 Index (RUT - 764.19) of small-cap issues have both pegged new highs for the year and for all time, respectively. The rally appears fairly broad in scope, with 389 (or roughly 78 percent) of the 500 SPX components in positive territory.

Good afternoon and happy opening day to all of you baseball fans out there. Our lead-off batter today is Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM), which has rallied forward by more than five percent to peg a new annual high today after a positive mention in Barron's. The financial newsweekly said ADM could continue to rally throughout the year as the push toward renewable energy picks up steam. The corn-producing concern churns out nearly one-third of the ethanol in the U.S., and prices for this gasoline additive could be on the rise as early as this month. The article noted that ethanol has risen above $2 per gallon of late, with May futures charted at $2.53 per gallon.

Next in the lineup is Chiron (NASDAQ:CHIR) , which has gained attention today after Novartis AG boosted its takeover bid to $48 per share, up from its earlier offer of $45. Shares of CHIR, which were halted earlier today, are now trading more than 4.5 percent higher. The vaccine marker's shareholders are scheduled to gather on April 12 to discuss the takeover; a vote will be held on April 19. Switzerland-based Novartis already owns a 44-percent stake in CHIR and maintains seats on the company's board.

Copper is a big player today, with May futures rising nearly four percent to another record-setting high of $2.5605 an ounce. Strong energy prices and a mixed dollar have helped the metals market regain its strength of late in a most impressive fashion. This strength has trickled down to particular equities. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX) appears on our list of advancing stocks, as does Phelps Dodge (NYSE:PD) . Both stocks have gained in excess of 4.5 percent, with PD hitting a new annual high.

Turning to the goats of the day, we have RadioShack (NYSE:RSH) , which has logged a 3.5-percent loss to reach a new annual low. Prior to the opening bell, Prudential lowered its rating on the electronics retailer to "neutral" from "overweight." The brokerage cited the retailer's shift to Cingular from Verizon, which is taking longer than anticipated. A spokesperson with Prudential noted that "While sales of Cingular wireless service at RadioShack stores appear strong in certain parts of the country, we believe management underestimated Verizon's stronghold, particularly in the large cities of the Northeast." Circuit City Stores (CC) is near the bottom of the charts as well, perhaps falling in sympathy with its peer.

Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL) has also racked up a new annual low today. The company is reportedly working with U.S. and Asian health-care authorities to investigate a growing number of fungus infections among contact-lens wearers. The infections were first reported in Asia, prompting a temporary sales suspension of the ReNu multipurpose contact solution line. BOL officials said that results of subsequent studies "have yielded no evidence to suggest that the products in any way caused or contributed to this infections." Nevertheless, the sales suspension is likely to reduce sales in Hong Kong and Singapore by about $10 million.

Yum! Brands (YUM) is in the cellar as well, and I'm guessing (or hoping) that it's not only because I've given up Taco Bell (and other fast-food chains) for Lent. The shares are down more than 1.4 percent on no discernable news. YUM has managed to progress only sideways for the past year or so, and is now testing long-term support from its 20-month moving average. The equity has not closed below this trendline since April 2003.

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=15701 .

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=15701 .

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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 .