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Technology Stocks : Semi Equipment Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gottfried who wrote (9336)	4/8/2003 9:38:17 PM
From: willcousa	Respond to of 95637

OT - Sorry about that, my bad.

To: Gottfried who wrote (9336)	4/8/2003 9:49:39 PM
From: StanX Long	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 95637

Top Gurus Run With The Bulls Ratha Tep; data provided by Marketocracy, 04.08.03, 2:35 PM ET forbes.com NEW YORK - As the market swings to the play-by-play of news in the Middle East, Marketocracy's best-performing fund managers, known as the M100, have been seeking out stocks running with the rally. At the top of their list is teen-oriented apparel company Pacific Sunwear of California (nasdaq: PSUN - news - people ). The Anaheim, Calif.-based retailer, which has its roots as a surf shop in Newport Beach, now operates some 800 stores across the country. Its Pacific Sunwear stores sell surf/skate/snowboard-inspired apparel brands like Billabong and Quiksilver to teenagers; its newer and smaller line of d.e.m.o. stores sells hip-hop clothing, such as P. Diddy's Sean John and Jay-Z's Rocawear, to a slightly older audience. Shares of Pacific Sunwear have risen more than 25% since market close on March 3, when it reported stellar financials for its fiscal year ended Feb. 1. Net income grew 80% to $49.7 million on sales growth of 23.6% to $846.4 million. On April 4, the stock reached a 52-week high of $22.80. In addition to its strong sales and earnings growth, the fund managers like Pacific Sunwear's improving balance sheet. Over the past year, the company has decreased its long-term debt by more than $20 million to $3.3 million. The fund managers also like Houston-based Stewart Information Services (nyse: STC - news - people ). Stewart's main business is title insurance, though it also offers related real estate services, such as title reports and property appraisals. The stock hit its 52-week high of $27.18 on April 3, up 80% since its $15 low last July. Competitors Fidelity National (nyse: FNF - news - people ) and First American (nyse: FAF - news - people ) have also experienced a rise of more than 50% in their stock prices throughout the year. This category-wide boom stems largely from increased home sales and mortgage refinancing due to low mortgage interest rates over the past year. The M100 also has been buying up shares of Orthodontic Centers of America (nyse: OCA - news - people ) and Apollo Group (nasdaq: APOL - news - people ). OCA was a favorite among short-sellers last summer when it was trading around $25; it has since dropped to around $5. Apollo Group operates postsecondary schools, such as the University of Phoenix, which targets working adults. Apollo posted a 54% increase in earnings last quarter on March 25 and subsequently hit a new high of $52.50 on March 27. It is currently a favorite pick of The Chartist's Dan Sullivan, who tends to favor stocks with high relative strength (see "Stocks On Steroids"). Apollo shares trade at around $51. The M100 sold shares of Whitman Education Group (amex: WIX - news - people ) and Career Education (nasdaq: CECO - news - people ), both of which also offer postsecondary education programs. On March 25, Whitman and Career Education signed a merger agreement in which Career Education would buy out WIX stock through a combination of cash and CECO stock. Whitman stock has risen 40% since the merger was announced, to around $14, while CECO has been stagnant at $50. Telecom Argentina STET-France Telecom (nyse: TEO - news - people ) headed the list of sells for the week. The Buenos Aires, Argentina-based firm provides domestic, international long-distance and Internet services for northern Argentina. The M100 considers TEO overvalued in the $3 to $4 range, taking into account Argentina's deep recession and Telecom Argentina's posted loss of ARS 4.35 billion for fiscal 2002 ended Dec. 31, 2002, compared to a profit of ARS 99 million from the year prior. Top Buys Pacific Sunwear of California (nasdaq: PSUN - news - people ) Orthodontic Centers of America (nyse: OCA - news - people ) Stewart Information Services (nyse: STC - news - people ) Apollo Group (nasdaq: APOL - news - people ) Candela (nasdaq: CLZR - news - people ) Top Sells Telecom Argentina STET-France Telecom (nyse: TEO - news - people ) Whitman Education Group (amex: WIX - news - people ) Hi-Tech Pharmacal (nasdaq: HITK - news - people ) Zoll Medical (nasdaq: ZOLL - news - people ) Career Education (nasdaq: CECO - news - people ) Send comments and questions to investingnewsletters@forbes.net. More Guru Picks Learn more/subscribe to Forbes Newsletters.