Street Chatter From SIR Highlights the Following Stocks: Apple Computer, Esperion Therapeutics, and TiVo.

Business Editors

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 2003

Today's Street Chatter from SIR focuses on: Apple Computer (Nasdaq:AAPL), Esperion Therapeutics (Nasdaq:ESPR), and TiVo (Nasdaq:TIVO).

Street Chatter focuses on three stocks that are generating a lot of attention on Internet message boards and is published every day at SchaeffersResearch.com . For additional information about this report or to have it delivered to you via email everyday click on the following link : http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/addinfo .

Street Chatter:

1. Apple Computer (Nasdaq:AAPL) will be watching its wallet in 2004, according to recent financial projections. The iPod and Mac creator said that capital expenditures should total $160 million in fiscal year 2004 compared to $164 million in fiscal year 2003. Technically speaking, AAPL has been slumping of late, moving below its 10-week and 20-week moving averages earlier this quarter. Last week, these intermediate-term trendlines completed a bearish crossover, the first of its kind since mid-January. Despite AAPL's recent weakness, there is more than one sign of optimistic sentiment on the equity. First, Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) for AAPL stands at 0.66, which is in the bottom one-third of all annual readings. Next, the number of shorted AAPL shares dropped by 12 percent over the past reporting period to 11.9 million, the lowest readings since January. The resultant short-interest ratio for the security is a paltry 2.36 times the stock's average daily volume.

Click the following link to see the Weekly Chart of AAPL Since March 2003 With 10-Week and 20-Week Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=9129 .

2. Esperion Therapeutics (Nasdaq:ESPR) has garnered more than a little attention on Yahoo! message boards today. In fact, the number of postings on the ESPR topic rose 2500 percent today. The hubbub has been spurred by an acquisition deal proposed by Pfizer, wherein the pharmaceutical heavyweight will pay a 54-percent premium to acquire ESPR at $35 per share. PFE hopes the partnership will facilitate the development of a new approach to combating heart disease. Not surprisingly, ESPR has bolted higher today on heavy volume, nearly covering Pfizer's premium payout. The stock has rallied 52.6 percent from its Friday close, reaching a new annual high of 34.75, just shy of its impending sale price. Options players are getting while the getting is good today, as evidenced by the more than 4,000 contracts changing hands on the January 35 call strike, which was previously home to just 227 open positions. The April 35 call strike is also seeing some activity from the speculative crowd.

Click the following link to see the Weekly Chart of ESPR Since January 2003 With 10-Week and 20-Week Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=9129 .

3. An analyst from Rodman & Renshaw issued some positive words on TiVo (Nasdaq:TIVO) recently, observing that its digital-recording unit is the 12th best-selling electronics item on Amazon.com. In mid-November, before the holiday shopping seasons kicked off at full speed, TIVO's flagship product ranked just 42 on the online shopping site. The analyst in question said TIVO should thus be able to beat forecasts and lure 350,000 new subscribers by next month. The shares are currently testing support at the six level but are encountering resistance from their 10-week and 20-week moving averages, which are bearing down from overhead. Options players are stacking the bearish deck, as evidenced by Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) on TIVO of 1.10, which is an annual high. Short sellers are holding 9.3 million short positions, for a short-interest ratio of 5.28 days to cover.

Click the following link to see the Weekly Chart of TIVO Since November 2002 With 10-Week and 20-Week Moving Averages: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/wire?ID=9129 .