REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 12, 1999 — A portfolio of 10 stock picks by the award-winning MSN
™
MoneyCentral
™
free personal finance online service (connect-time charges may apply), finished 1998 with a gain of 156 percent, more than five times better than the S & P 500 Index and nine times better than the Dow Jones Industrial Average. After a bull-market year in which consumers stampeded onto the Internet to invest, MSN MoneyCentral – the top Web destination for online investors in November 1998* – is now offering its top 30 stock picks for 1999 at http://moneycentral.MSN.com/articles/invest/models/investor30.asp .
The MSN
“SuperModels”
are topped, like last year, by leading Internet stocks Yahoo! Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Dell Computer Corp. but also include newcomers such as EarthLink Network Inc. and mainstream stalwarts such as Pfizer Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Gap Inc.
The unique stock portfolios, called SuperModels, offered by MSN MoneyCentral are created by the site’s managing editor Jon Markman using stock-screening software found exclusively at the MSN MoneyCentral site. Any investor can easily replicate these methods, explained in regular editorial columns on MSN Investor.
Markman also showcased the techniques for a national consumer audience by creating the CNBC Top 100, a long list of value, growth and momentum stocks aimed at beating the market between September and New Year’s Day. It was a success; the stocks topped the S & P 500 by nearly 13 percentage points – 40.2 percent to 27.5 percent. Leading the charge were Amazon.com (+285 percent ), America Online Inc. (+259 percent ), Yahoo (+258 percent), Teradyne Inc. (+110 percent), The AES Corp. (+90 percent), Carnival Corp. (+81 percent), The Gap (+70 percent), EMC Corp. (+67 percent) and Home Depot Inc. (+60 percent).
Visitors to MSN MoneyCentral realized substantial gains by applying the SuperModel picks to their own portfolios.
“The combination of investment-related editorial content, news and portfolio formulas make MSN MoneyCentral the best, most complete financial site on the Internet,”
said Glenn MacNaughton, customer of MSN MoneyCentral.
“The MSN MoneyCentral SuperModels helped me see trends in the market that didn’t become apparent until weeks later. By following the SuperModels flare-out growth formula, I increased the value of my aggressive growth portfolio over 125 percent in December.”
Editorial Focus of MSN MoneyCentral Also Successful
In addition to recommending the SuperModels, the MSN MoneyCentral financial team and guest investment experts collectively suggested more than 400 stocks and securities to consumers in 1998 editorial columns. Highlighted stocks produced an annualized gain of more than 40.2 percent, compared to the S & P 500’s increase of about 27.5 percent and the Dow’s gain of 16 percent during the same period.
“The 50 best stocks in the world”
portfolio by Jim Jubak, senior markets editor, finished the year up 30 percent since its inception on Sept. 9, 1998.
“There’s nothing magical about building good stock portfolios. It just requires a disciplined approach, a willingness to learn and a bit of courage under fire,”
Markman said.
“I think we’ve made wealth-building a lot easier by bringing software tools and insight previously available only to professional investors down to the desktop for individuals.”
About MSN MoneyCentral, the One-Stop Personal Finance Resource
MSN MoneyCentral was named the No. 1 Web site for financial information and investing by Barron’s magazine for the second consecutive year and was one of PC Magazine’s Top 100 Web sites in 1998. MSN MoneyCentral features the top-rated MSN Investor ( http://investor.MSN.com/ ) as well as seven other personal finance areas: Real Estate, Money & Banking, Family Finance, Retirement & Wills, Insurance, Smart Buying and Taxes.
MSN MoneyCentral is a complete online personal finance resource for consumers, delivering easy-to-use tools, recommendations from dedicated financial professionals, and financial data from more than 15 leading content providers. MSN MoneyCentral features award-winning MSN Investor, which helps users track their investments, get new investing ideas, research their next investment, and find thoughtful and informative editorial content written by leading financial experts who can keep them up to date on the market.**
The online companion to Microsoft® Money 99 Financial Suite, MSN MoneyCentral features seamless integration with the MSN network of Internet services.
About MSN and Microsoft
MSN is the network of Internet services from Microsoft that helps people better organize the Web around what’s important to them. The network of MSN services, located on the Web at MSN.com ( http://MSN.com/ ), helps people easily stay in touch with friends and colleagues, make smart and secure purchasing decisions, and get more done.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
*According to Internet audience measurement service Media Metrix.
**The editorial goal of MoneyCentral is to provide a forum for investment ideas. Articles and columns by investors appearing on MSN MoneyCentral should not be construed as investment advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Microsoft Corp. of any specific security or trading strategy. An investor’s best course of action must be based on individual circumstances.
Microsoft, MSN and MoneyCentral are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
