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Wednesday,  March 26, 1997
The Daily Dow

FOOL GLOBAL WIRE
by Robert Sheard

LEXINGTON, KY. (Mar. 26, 1997) -- Looking like a mob informant swimming in the East River with a pair of concrete shoes, AT&T <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: T)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: T)") end if %> has been drowning the model so far in 1997. This is especially true as it is the stock most heavily weighted in the model.

This week, though, the "PPP stock," (which is supposed to mean Penultimate Profit Prospect, not [fill in your own definition here]), has picked up a little more lively stroke. Granted, it still looks like the doggie paddle rather than the butterfly, but if it can shed those concrete fins, look out in the next Olympic trials.

Today is also the ex-dividend date for AT&T, paying out its standard 33 cents a share. That's our final dividend for the first quarter of 1997 in the Foolish Four model.

The real strength on the Dow today came from the oil stocks. Perennial high yielders, these global oil giants are starting to register a little price appreciation as well, with CHEVRON <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: CHV)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: CHV)") end if %>, EXXON <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: XON)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: XON)") end if %>, and TEXACO <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: TX)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: TX)") end if %> all posting solid gains today. Granted, Texaco is no longer on the Dow, but it was when we began the year, so we'll continue to follow it until the end of 1997.

One topic that comes up frequently is what should one do with the cash from dividends. There's no single right answer, of course; it depends on the make-up and size of your portfolio. The standard model assumes those dividends sit idle in cash for the rest of the year, and are then added to the total pool to be reinvested for the following year, but you can certainly use them in a number of ways.

One possibility is to add them to other cash on hand and put them to work in other parts of your portfolio if you also invest in growth stocks. Some investors set up Dividend Reinvestment Plans to put the payments back to work immediately through new shares directly from the company. Other investors who use margin leverage just let the dividends pay down the margin loan balance.

Decide what works best for you and put the little bonus to work as you see fit. There's no absolute rule.

(c) Copyright 1997, The Motley Fool. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of The Motley Fool.

The Current BTD 10
1. AT&T
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:T)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:T)") end if %>
2. *International Paper
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:IP)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:IP)") end if %>
3. *Goodyear Tire
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:GT)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:GT)") end if %>
4. *General Motors
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:GM)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:GM)") end if %>
5. *Chevron
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:CHV)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:CHV)") end if %>
6. Eastman Kodak
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:EK)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:EK)") end if %>
7. Minnesota Mining
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:MMM)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:MMM)") end if %>
8. J.P. Morgan
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:JPM)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:JPM)") end if %>
9. Exxon
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:XON)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:XON)") end if %>
10. Philip Morris
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:MO)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:MO)") end if %>
***NOTE: FOOLISH FOUR
STOCKS ARE PRECEDED BY AN ASTERISK AND ARE ITALICISED

Updated Daily

Today's Dow Numbers
Stock  Change   Last
--------------------
T    -   1/4   35.88
GM   -1  1/8   55.88
CHV  +   1/2   72.13
MMM  -1  1/4   87.50



Day Month Year FOOL-4 -0.48% -2.94% -1.70% DJIA +0.07% 0.04% 6.71% S&P 500 +0.18% -0.04% 6.72% NASDAQ +1.68% -3.05% -1.70% Rec'd # Security In At Now Change 1/2/97 153 Chevron 65.00 72.13 10.96% 1/2/97 120 3M 83.00 87.50 5.42% 1/2/97 179 Gen. Motor 55.75 55.88 0.22% 1/2/97 479 AT&T 41.75 35.88 -14.07% Rec'd # Security In At Value Change 1/2/97 153 Chevron 9945.00 11035.13 $1090.13 1/2/97 120 3M 9960.00 10500.00 $540.00 1/2/97 179 Gen. Motor 9979.25 10001.63 $22.38 1/2/97 479 AT&T 19998.25 17184.13 -$2814.13 CASH $431.29 TOTAL $49152.17
        


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Copyright©1997, The Motley Fool, All Rights Reserved.
This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to
news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of The Motley Fool, Inc.
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