Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks Features Symantec, Monster Worldwide, Newell Rubbermaid, Aetna, and Tellabs.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the July 27 edition of Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks are Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC), Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ:MNST), Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE:NWL), Aetna (NYSE:AET), and Tellabs (NASDAQ:TLAB). Schaeffer's S&P 500 Index Hot Stocks is just one of the many free market commentaries written every day 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 Thursday, July 27, 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 - 1,272.40) as well as the bottom-20 names. Featured along with this table will be news that is moving some of the securities, including a look at Compuware.

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

A heavy amount of news hit the Street this morning, led off by weekly initial jobless claims. According to the report, initial jobless claims dropped by 7,000 to 298,000 last week. Analysts expected a climb to 310,000. The Commerce Department followed this news up with data showing that U.S. durable goods orders increased 3.1 percent in June thanks, in part, to a surge in demand for transportation goods. Excluding an 8.6-percent jump in transportation orders, durable goods orders increased one percent. Analysts expected an increase of two percent. Finally, new home sales decreased by three percent during June to a rate of 1.13 million. Economists expected a rate of 1.16 million. All of this news has dragged on the SPX a bit, as it is currently 0.31 percent lower. Currently, 56 percent of the SPX is in negative territory.

Leading the way on the SPX this afternoon is Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC). This morning, the software maker announced first-quarter earnings of nine cents per share. Adjusting earnings for one-time items, SYMC would have earned 24 cents per share, three cents better than the consensus estimate. Revenue for the quarter increased to $1.26 billion, topping the Street's expectation for $1.24 billion. This morning's news sent SYMC more than nine percent higher.

Yesterday, Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ:MNST) posted second-quarter earnings of 30 cents per share, one cent shy of the consensus estimate. However, the online job recruiter posted a 36-percent increase in revenue for the quarter. Today, MNST was upgraded to "neutral" from "underperform" by Credit Suisse First Boston. This combination of news has MNST trading nearly seven percent higher.

Let's all take a guess why Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE:NWL) is more than six percent higher this afternoon, shall we? Well, if you said it was because the company posted second-quarter earnings of 54 cents per share, then that is downright spooky. But that is the reason for the jump, especially since the consensus estimate called for 42 cents per share. The shares were reined in by the company's third-quarter earnings forecast that lagged the consensus estimate.

Resting at the bottom of the SPX this afternoon is Aetna (NYSE:AET) and its drop of nearly 20 percent. The stock dropped after announcing second-quarter earnings of 64 cents per share, excluding reserve development and net realized capital gains. The consensus estimate for earnings stood at 64 cents per share. AET then forecast an increase in its claims costs and cut its membership view, raising the ire of investors. As a result of today's announcement, Bear Stearns cut AET to "peer perform" from "outperform."

Finally, we turn to Tellabs (NASDAQ:TLAB). The communications company announced that its second-quarter earnings (excluding items) stood at 16 cents per share. If options were omitted from the earnings, TLAB would have matched the Street's estimate. You may ask; why has the company lost more than 15 percent? Valid question, answered by looking at the fact that company executives hinted that growth may slow in the third quarter. The slowing may be more than the Street expected, hence today's sizeable drop.

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Gainers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=17013 .

Click the following link to see a Chart of the SPX 500 Index's Top-20 Percentage Losers: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=17013 .

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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 .