Fool FaceInvesting For Growth
What You'll Find Here | The IFG Approach Explained | The Historic IFG
The Daily IFG Report

(FOOL GLOBAL WIRE)
by Robert Sheard (MF DowMan)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Apr. 2): While the IFG semiconductor stocks continue to lag, limping ignobly towards their ejection from the portfolio this weekend, at least one of the software stocks picked up a Wall Street seal of approval today. Bear Stearns initiated coverage on Sterling Software <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:SSW)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:SSW)") end if %> today with a Buy rating, boosting the stock roughly 4%. Perhaps not coincidentally, this stock is also one of the IFG Relative Strength variation holdings.

Sterling also announced some product news today. Sterling Commerce <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:SE)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:SE)") end if %>, a subsidiary of Sterling Software, announced connectivity capability between its COMMERCE:Links product and Lotus cc:Mail and Microsoft Mail, the two leading LAN-based messaging systems.

Sterling Software's Desktop Integration Division also released plans today for two new products. STAR:View provides access to host-based applications via web browsers and STAR:Gate provides a full development environment for Intranet applications based upon existing business applications and information sources.

In other IFG software company news, Oracle <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ:ORCL)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ:ORCL)") end if %> and Digital Equipment <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:DEC)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:DEC)") end if %> announced that they're combining to make available the Oracle Video Option on the Digital AlphaServer platform. This will allow the deployment of video-enabled applications over virtually any network. Oracle also announced today the availability of Oracle7 on Tandem's new UNIX system-based Integrity S4000.

Adobe Systems <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ:ADBE)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ:ADBE)") end if %>, still reeling from its last quarter's earnings debacle announced that senior vice-president and chief operating officer Stephen MacDonald has resigned. Adobe president Charles Geschke will assume his duties on an interim basis. Yesterday, Adobe announced that it's reducing the price of its Acrobat Capture 1.01 software to $895 in order to open broader distribution channels through major mail order and retail outlets. Adobe also trades ex-dividend starting today, paying a nickel a share to current shareholders of record.

The IFG (Relative Strength) model portfolio gained 0.74% today.

Make sure and check in sometime this weekend (probably Sunday afternoon) to find out what the new stocks in the IFG model portfolio for the next 13 weeks will be. I'll update the list as soon as my Value Line arrives and I can get the database completed.

Transmitted: 4/2/96

The Current IFG Stocks

Tellabs
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ:TLAB)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ:TLAB)") end if %>

Green Tree Financial
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:GNT)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:GNT)") end if %>

United Healthcare
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:UNH)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:UNH)") end if %>

Oracle
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ:ORCL)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ:ORCL)") end if %>

Checkpoint Systems
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:CKP)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:CKP)") end if %>

Dionex
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ:DNEX)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ:DNEX)") end if %>

Medtronic
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:MDT)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:MDT)") end if %>

Stryker
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NASDAQ:STRY)") else Response.Write("(NASDAQ:STRY)") end if %>

Bio-Rad Labs
(ASE:BIO/A)

Computer Associates
<% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE:CA)") else Response.Write("(NYSE:CA)") end if %>

Today's IFG Numbers
         INVESTING FOR GROWTH (4/2/96)  



          Day   Week  Quarter  Year   History

IFG      0.27%  0.29%  0.29%  -0.23%  3959.06%

DJIA     0.60%  1.51%  1.51%  10.84%   584.29%

S&P 500  0.23%  1.51%  1.51%   6.39%   515.15%

NASDAQ   0.43%  0.90%  0.90%   5.62%   650.78%





Rec'd     #    Security       In At   Now    Change



10/10/94 9586  Micron Tech    16.63  30.38   82.71%

1/5/96   3387  Sterling Soft  52.75  73.75   39.81%

4/8/95   3794  Intel          43.56  56.88   30.56%

1/5/96   3183  Comp Assoc     56.13  72.38   28.95%

4/8/95   5828  ADC Telecom    28.38  34.50   21.59%

1/5/96   4168  Oracle         42.88  47.00    9.62%

1/5/96   2627  Comp Sci       68.00  69.88    2.76%

7/8/95   3866  Tellabs        48.00  49.13    2.34%

1/5/96   4229  Adobe Sys      42.25  33.13  -21.60%

7/8/95   3776  Applied Mat    49.13  34.75  -29.26%



Rec'd     #    Security           Cost        Value       Change



10/10/94 9586  Micron Tech    $159,367.25  $291,174.75  $131,807.50  

1/5/96   3387  Sterling Soft  $178,664.25  $249,791.25   $71,127.00  

4/8/95   3794  Intel          $165,276.13  $215,783.75   $50,507.63  

1/5/96   3183  Comp Assoc     $178,645.88  $230,369.63   $51,723.75  

4/8/95   5828  ADC Telecom    $165,369.50  $201,066.00   $35,696.50  

1/5/96   4168  Oracle         $178,703.00  $195,896.00   $17,193.00  

1/5/96   2627  Comp Sci       $178,636.00  $183,561.63    $4,925.63  

7/8/95   3866  Tellabs        $185,568.00  $189,917.25    $4,349.25  

1/5/96   4229  Adobe Sys      $178,675.25  $140,085.63  $(38,589.63) 

7/8/95   3776  Applied Mat    $185,496.00  $131,216.00  $(54,280.00) 



      CASH           $670.31       

      TOTAL    $2,029,532.19         





Transmitted: 4/2/96

Main
Page

Fool's
School

Hall of
Portfolios

Investing
Foolishly

Daily
News

Stock
Research

Foolish
Games
Copyright © 1996 The Motley Fool, Inc. All Rights Reserved.