Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Constellation Brands, Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold, BJ Services, Norfolk Southern, and Starbucks.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the April 7 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks are Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ), Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold (NYSE:FCX), BJ Services (NYSE:BJS), Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC), and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX). 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 Friday, April 6, 2007: Constellation Brands (STZ) Sees Stars

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 - 1,298.82) 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.

A promising start of the gates has segued into midday malaise, as the equity market sits below the break-even mark, haunted by historically lofty bond yields and the looming threat of continued rate hikes. After hitting a new multi-year high this morning, the SPX is now lower by more than 10 points and has breached the 1,300 level. The decline is especially broad in nature; only about 15 percent of the 500 SPX components are sitting in positive territory this afternoon.

Since the bears are clearly winning today's battle, let's begin on the negative side of the fence, as seems only fair. Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) said yesterday evening that it earned $58.2 million, or 24 cents per share in the fourth quarter, up from $47.6 million, or 20 cents per share, in the previous year. Sales rose one percent to $1.05 billion. Wine sales dropped three percent but were offset by sales of beer and spirits, which gained 16 percent. For the first quarter, STZ expects to earn between 25 and 28 cents per share, or 30 to 33 cents per share before items. Wall Street was expecting per-share results of 33 cents. For the full fiscal year, STZ projects sales growth of six to eight percent and earnings of $1.70 to $1.78 per share, barely hitting Wall Street's consensus view of $1.77 per share. The stock is the leading laggard today, dropping more than five percent.

May copper futures are down slightly in afternoon trading, off 1.35 cents to $2.633 a pound after hitting a new record of $2.648 on Thursday. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE:FCX) , meanwhile, has dropped almost four percent to be one of the session's biggest losers. This morning before the open, RBC Capital initiated coverage on FCX with a "sector perform" designation and set a 12-month price target of $65, which is only about one percent above yesterday's close. The stock has shot impressively higher during the past few weeks, gaining more than 27 percent since March 21.

BJ Services (NYSE:BJS) is among a slew of oil-related names that are dropping lower amid falling crude-oil prices. After news that production in Nigeria could resume within a week, the May crude contract dipped as much as $1.29 per barrel, losing its grip on the $67-per-barrel level. BJS is down almost four percent, falling beneath its 10-day moving average. Other oil names on today's list include Ashland (ASH) and Nucor (NUE) .

Railroad name Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) has dropped more than three percent this afternoon. Earlier today, NSC was plagued with a downgrade, as Stifel Nicoluas reduced its rating to "hold" from "buy." There were no explanations for this decision on either the Dow Jones wire or MarketWatch, but I'm wondering if perhaps the broker worried that NSC was a bit overextended. Since July 1 of last year, the stock has rallied more than 90 percent. Today's retreat is lowering the shares back to earth somewhat, as the equity has violated support at its 10-day moving average.

Now onto the good news. Stanley Works (SWK) is higher following an early-morning upgrade from Deutsche Bank. The financial-services firm adjusted its rating to "buy" from "hold." The stock has gapped up more than four percent, overcoming a short-term downtrend and hitting its highest point since late January.

Technology names Compuware (CPWR) and Adobe Systems (ADBE) are modestly higher today without any news to account for their respective gains of 2.8 percent and 2.1 percent.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) has rallied to a new annual high today after reporting March same-store sales growth of 10 percent. Wall Street was aiming a bit lower, expecting an increase of only 7.4 percent. The company also backed its annual same-store sales growth outlook of three to seven percent. Following this announcement, CIBC lifted its fiscal second-quarter earnings estimate for SBUX by a penny, and UBS lifted its price target to $42 from $40.

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=15744 .

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=15744 .

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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 .