PVN Providian Financial

MORNING UPDATE: Man Securities Inc. Issues Alerts for KRB, ALTR, HLIT, PVN, and SEPR CHICAGO, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Man Securities issues the following Morning Update at 8:30 AM EDT with new PriceWatch Alerts for key stocks. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020214/MANSECLOGO ) Before the open... PriceWatch Alerts for KRB, ALTR, HLIT, PVN, and SEPR, Market Overview, Today's Economic Calendar, and the Quote Of The Day. QUOTE OF THE DAY "The world has changed. It's not that the U.S. has lost its lead. It's just that the people who are coming up from behind are coming on real strong." -- Mathew Kazmierczak, director of research, AeA. New PriceWatch Alerts for KRB, ALTR, HLIT, PVN, and SEPR... PRICEWATCH ALERTS - HIGH RETURN COVERED CALL OPTIONS -- MBNA Corp. (NYSE:KRB) Last Price 18.95 - SEP 17.50 CALL OPTION@ $2.30 -> 5.1 % Return assigned* -- Altera Corp. (NASDAQ:ALTR) Last Price 19.25 - JUN 20.00 CALL OPTION@ $0.65 -> 7.5 % Return assigned* -- Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ:HLIT) Last Price 6.12 - JUN 5.00 CALL OPTION@ $1.35 -> 4.8 % Return assigned* -- Providian Financial Corp. (NYSE:PVN) Last Price 15.86 - JUN 15.00 CALL OPTION@ $1.60 -> 5.2 % Return assigned* -- Sepracor Inc. (NASDAQ:SEPR) Last Price 61.25 - JUN 60.00 CALL OPTION@ $3.60 -> 4.1 % Return assigned* * To learn more about how to use these alerts and for our FREE report, "The 18 Warning Signs That Tell You When To Dump A Stock", go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/mu18 (Note: You may need to copy the link above into your browser then press the [ENTER] key) ** For the FREE report, "Is Your Investment Portfolio Disaster Proof? - Insights, Stocks, And Strategies." go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/FREEDP NOTE: All stocks and options shown are examples only. These are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. NEWS LEADERS AND LAGGARDS So far today, Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc., SAP AG, and International Business Machines Corp. lead the list of companies with the most news stories while Mittal Steel Co. and FTD Group Inc. are showing a spike in news. Lockheed Martin Corp., Fording Canadian Coal Trust, and T Rowe Price Group Inc. have the highest srtIndex scores to top the list of companies with positive news while Bowater Inc. and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. lead the list of companies with negative news reports. Schlumberger Ltd. has popped up with a high positive news sraIndex score. For the FREE article titled, "Earnings Season Decoded - An Essential 15 Point Checklist For Finding Winning Stocks." go to: http://www.wallstreetsecretsplus.com/go/freemu/ MARKET OVERVIEW Trading overseas is looking extremely weak this morning, with only two of the 15 markets that we follow in positive territory. The cumulative average return on the group stands at a -0.311 percent. Asia finished the trading day mixed, with the Nikkei shedding 0.34 percent while the Hang Seng closed with a 0.8-percent gain. European stocks are lower today following disappointing earnings reports from Infineon Technologies and ASM International. However, strong results from British oil giant BP PLC is providing the U.K. with some support. The June contract on sweet crude oil eased back 82 cents after four days of gains. As we so often see, round-number levels often have great significance, and today's high for crude was 56.00 exactly. But talk on the Street has it that gasoline rather than crude, is now the vital fluid to watch. Be prepared for the investing week ahead with Bernie Schaeffer's FREE Monday Morning Outlook. For more details and to sign up, go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/freemo DYNAMIC MARKET OPPORTUNITIES Investors suffered an early shock Monday morning, with the news that crude oil prices are steadily climbing closer to US$60 amid "a possible squeeze on gasoline supplies this summer." Having correctly predicted that oil would dip under US$50 per barrel just a couple of weeks ago, Ian Cooper, investment editor at Red Zone Profits, EVS, and Doji Master trading services is now predicting that prices will top US$60 by early May, as demand stays strong entering the summer driving season. Oil is a subject set to dominate the financial headlines, with 18 of the industry's biggest players set to release earnings in the next two weeks. Among them: Exxon-Mobil and Conoco-Phillips on Wednesday. Exxon alone is projected to post an impressive 54% growth in earnings-per-share. Friday sees second biggest US oil producer Chevron-Texaco report earnings, just one day after the earnings release of the company it recently agreed to buy out, ninth-ranked Unocal. Since oil prices heavily affect gasoline prices, the market sits at an important juncture as the US gears up for the busy summer season. That, coupled with fresh inflationary pressure, and constant speculation about the end of the real estate boom has investors concerned. Among the economic releases: Consumer spending and income data; durable goods orders; home sales will all contribute to the market's mood, with the highlight being Thursday when the Commerce Department releases its initial figure on first quarter US GDP growth. According to a MarketWatch poll, that figure could hit 3.6%, just a little slower than the 3.8% growth pace posted during the fourth quarter -- not bad, considering the inflationary pressures heating up, an inconsistent job market, ballooning oil prices, and the upward march of interest rates. Read more analysis from the 247Profits Group every trading day with the FREE 247Profits e-Dispatch, featuring insightful economic commentary, profitable investment recommendations, and full access to a leading team of financial experts. Register for free here: http://www.247profits.com/enter.html TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR 7:45 A.M. April 23 ICSC Store Sales Index 8:55 A.M. April 23 Redbook Retail Sales Index 10:00 A.M. March New Home Sales 10:00 A.M. April Richmond Fed Mfg Index 10:00 A.M. April Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index 5:00 P.M. April 23 ABC/Washington Post Consumer Confidence Index Man Securities Inc. is one of the world's leading option order execution firms. Man's in-house broker team offers a level of personal service and experience unavailable from no-frills discount brokers. To improve your understanding of option pricing get Man's FREE Margin/Option Wizard software at: http://www.investorsobserver.com/mancd. Member CBOE/NASD/SPIC. CRD# 6731 This Morning Update was prepared with data and information provided by: InvestorsObserver.com - Better Strategies for Making Money -> For Investors With a Sense of Humor. Only $1 for your first month plus seven free bonuses worth over $420, see: http://www.investorsobserver.com/must Quote.com QCharts - Real time quotes and streaming technical charts to keep you up with the market. Analyze, predict, and stay ahead. for a Free 30 day trial go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/MUQuote2 247profits.com: You'll get exclusive financial commentary, access to a global network of experts and undiscovered stock alerts. Register NOW for the FREE 247profits e-Dispatch. Go to: http://www.247profits.com/enter.html Schaeffer's Investment Research - Sign up for your FREE e-weekly, Monday Morning Outlook, Bernie Schaeffer's look ahead at the markets. Sign Up Now http://www.investorsobserver.com/freemo PowerOptionsPlus - The Best Way To Find, Compare, Analyze, and Make Money On Options Investments. For a 14-Day FREE trial and 5 FREE bonuses go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/poweropt All stocks and options shown are examples only. These are not recommendations to buy or sell any security and they do not represent in any way a positive or negative outlook for any security. Potential returns do not take into account your trade size, brokerage commissions or taxes which will affect actual investment returns. Stocks and options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors and investing in options carries substantial risk. Prior to buying or selling options, a person must receive a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options available from Sharon at 800-837-6212 or at http://www.cboe.com/Resources/Intro.asp. Privacy policy available upon request. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020214/MANSECLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Man Securities CONTACT: John Gannon of Man Securities Inc., +1-800-837-6212 Web site: http://www.mansecurities.com/mu.html

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