CMVT Comverse Technology, Inc. (MM)

MORNING UPDATE: Man Securities Issues Alerts for MSFT, L, SYMC, CMVT, and NAVR CHICAGO, May 28 /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 MSFT, L, SYMC, CMVT, and NAVR, Market Overview, Today's Economic Calendar, and the Quote Of The Day. QUOTE OF THE DAY "Given the strength in (the third quarter) some would suggest we are being too conservative. I hope so. We'll see what happens." -- Richard Galanti, Chief Financial Officer, Costco Wholesale Corp. New PriceWatch Alerts for MSFT, L, SYMC, CMVT, and NAVR... PRICEWATCH ALERTS - HIGH RETURN COVERED CALL OPTIONS -- Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) Last Price 26.19 - OCT 25.00 CALL OPTION@ $2.15 -> 4 % Return assigned* -- Liberty Media (NYSE:L) Last Price 10.87 - OCT 11.00 CALL OPTION@ $0.55 -> 6.6 % Return assigned* -- Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ:SYMC) Last Price 45.65 - JUL 45.00 CALL OPTION@ $2.95 -> 5.4 % Return assigned* -- Comverse Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:CMVT) Last Price 17.52 - JUL 17.50 CALL OPTION@ $0.85 -> 5 % Return assigned* -- Navarre Corp. (NASDAQ:NAVR) Last Price 12.84 - JUN 12.50 CALL OPTION@ $0.90 -> 4.7 % 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, "The Secrets of Smart Election Year Investing - Insights, Stocks, And Strategies." go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/FREEelection NOTE: All stocks and options shown are examples only. These are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. MARKET OVERVIEW Overseas markets continue their "on-again/off-again" pattern this morning, this time in the off-again mode with just five of the 15 markets that we track currently positive. A fair balance between percent losses and percent gains has held the cumulative average return to a flattish minus 0.054 percent. An overnight gain of 1.29 percent in the Nikkei allowed the index to exit the week higher by 2.2 percent and accomplish a weekly close above its 20-week moving average, the first such close here in weeks. On the calendar year the Nikkei remains positive by 5.93 percent. Consumer confidence in the Euro-Zone (E-Z) remained quite negative in May. The May report came in at minus 16 versus April's minus 14 figure. Rising oil prices and an up-tick in inflation weighed heavily on the opinion of the consumer. In a separate report released by Eurostat, the rate of inflation in the single currency region jumped to plus 2.5 percent in May from the 2.0 percent rise in April. This figure is well above the European Central Bank's (ECB) definition of an inflation rate compatible with price stability of "close to, but below 2.0 percent." This would put a damper on any hope of a central bank interest rate reduction and further discourage confidence in the "E-Z" consumer base. Before the start of the regular session, April Personal Income is expected to have moved higher by 0.5 percent versus the 0.4 percent rise seen in March. The companion report, April Personal Spending, is expected to have moderated a bit to a plus 0.3 percent, down from last month's 0.4 percent rise. At 9:45 a.m., the final May University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is expected to have advanced to 95.6. The preliminary reading stood at 94.2 matching the final reading of April. Recall that just three days ago we learned that U.S. consumer confidence rose slightly in May to 93.2 versus the revised 93.0 reading in April. Analysts were somewhat disappointed, as the negative impact of higher gasoline prices offset better labor-market conditions, looking for a reading of 93.7. At 10:00 a.m., we get a preview of Tuesday's release of the National Institute of Supply Managers Manufacturing index via the May Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index. The Chicago index is seen moderating a bit to 62.2 from the prior month's 63.9 reading. Recall that any reading greater than 50 indicates expansion in the index or any of its components. The Bond Market Association is recommending a 2:00 p.m. close for the U.S. fixed income markets ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, so make sure that your positions are adjusted to your satisfaction by that time. 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 As the U.S. economy continues its progress from "recovery" mode to "growth" mode, previously downtrodden industries and sectors are finally beginning to enjoy some better times. One of those includes key base material industries like steel, which has under-performed the market recently. One of the companies making strides over the past six months is AK Steel Holding Company. Thanks to stronger demand for steel, prices have climbed 30% this year. As such, the firm announced it will increase its steel prices by $50 per ton from June 1. Ian Cooper, investment director at the Taipan Group's Extreme Volatility Speculator service, thinks this price increase, coupled with some attractive financials, could mean a healthy move for the company. AK Steel boasts a market cap of just $492 million, an enterprise value of over $1.5 billion, and trades with a price/sales ratio of only 0.12. Compare this to the $2.85 billion market cap at International Steel Group, and the $3.2 billion market cap at the United States Steel Corp., and you can see there's plenty of room for growth from this undervalued stock. The editorial team has prepared a special FREE REPORT for you -- "America's 1,300 Fastest-Growing Companies." You can access it immediately by following this link: http://www.investorsobserver.com/agora1 TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR 8:30 a.m.: April Personal Income (seen at plus 0.5 percent, last plus 0.4 percent). 8:30 a.m.: April Personal Spending (seen at plus 0.3 percent, last plus 0.4 percent). 9:45 a.m.: May Final University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (seen at 95.6, preliminary reading stood at 94.2 10:00 a.m.: May Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index (seen at 62.2, last 63.9). FYI: Bond Market Association recommends early close for U.S. fixed income markets. Man Financial Inc is one of the world's major futures and options brokers and has been recognized as a leading option order execution firm for individuals and institutions. Member CBOE/NASD/SIPC (CRD#6731). For more information and a free CD with educational tools to help you invest smarter, see http://www.investorsobserver.com/mancd . 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 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.investorsobserver.com/agora 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.poweroptionsplus.com/ 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: Michael Lavelle of Man Securities, +1-800-837-6212 Web site: http://www.mansecurities.com/mu.html

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