MORNING UPDATE: brokersXpress, LLC Issues Alerts for IBM, FDC, WB, CRE

CHICAGO, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- brokersXpress, LLC issues the following Morning Update at 8:30 AM EDT with new PriceWatch Alerts for key stocks.

Before the open... PriceWatch Alerts for IBM, FDC, WB, CREE, and RMBS, Market Overview, Today's Economic Calendar, and the Quote Of The Day.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The sentiment is one of fears and jitters, and no one wants to buy this market."

-- Jay Suskind, head trader, Ryan Beck & Co New PriceWatch Alerts for IBM, FDC, WB, CREE, and RMBS... PRICEWATCH ALERTS - HIGH RETURN COVERED CALL OPTIONS -- International Business Machines Last Price 83.64 - OCT 80.00 CALL OPTION@ $6.90 -> 4.2 % Return assigned* -- First Data Corp. Last Price 37.80 - AUG 37.50 CALL OPTION@ $2.35 -> 5.8 % Return assigned* -- Wachovia Corp. Last Price 50.11 - OCT 50.00 CALL OPTION@ $2.75 -> 5.6 % Return assigned* -- Cree, Inc. Last Price 22.30 - APR 22.50 CALL OPTION@ $0.90 -> 5.1 % Return assigned* -- Rambus Inc Last Price 14.05 - AUG 10.00 CALL OPTION@ $4.50 -> 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, "Is Your Investment Portfolio Disaster Proof? - Insights, Stocks, And Strategies." go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/FREEDP

NOTE: All stocks and options shown are examples only. These are not recommendations to buy or sell any security.

NEWS LEADERS AND LAGGARDS

So far today, Citigroup Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., and General Electric Co. lead the list of companies with the most news stories while Mattel Inc. and GlobalSantaFe Corp. are showing a spike in news. Wachovia Corp., Knight- Ridder Inc., and Genentech Inc. have the highest srtIndex scores to top the list of companies with positive news while International Business Machines Corp. and Raytheon Co. lead the list of companies with negative news reports. KeyCorp has popped up with a high positive news sraIndex score.

For the FREE article titled, "Earnings Season Decoded - An Essential 15 Point Checklist For Finding Winning Stocks." go to: http://www.wallstreetsecretsplus.com/go/freemu/

MARKET OVERVIEW

Overseas trading is looking rather bleak at the moment, as not one of the markets that we follow is in positive territory at the moment. The cumulative average return on the group stands at a 1.437-percent loss. European shares dropped sharply Friday as a disappointing quarterly update from mobile-phone venture Sony Ericsson added to the concerns over 2005 profit growth potential for the technology companies. Meanwhile, Asian benchmarks dropped today following Samsung Electronics' disappointing first quarter results heightened fears about technology firms' profit outlooks.

The U.S. Dollar Index rallied 0.69 percent in trading yesterday to finally stop at the key 85 level. In early trading this morning, the index is down slightly as the currency is higher against only the Brazilian real, the peso, and the Canadian dollar.

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

The airline sector continues to endure a bumpy ride. An initial survey from travel operator OAG shows flight numbers are finally back up to pre-September 11 levels. Figures from March show 2.27 million flights worldwide -- 45,000 more than in April 2001, the previous high. Global economic growth has now improved to the extent that more folks are taking flights. Passenger traffic is rising by 6% per year. The strong growth is particularly evident in emerging nations like China, despite rising fuel prices and many airlines imposing fuel surcharges on passengers. Fuel costs alone accounted for almost a quarter of Cathay Pacific's operating expenses in 2004. The rise of budget airlines throughout the world is also tempting travelers. There are almost 20% more flights offered by low-cost airlines than this time in 2004, with budget carriers operating 10% of all global flights this year. But there's no escaping the fierce pressure that high fuel prices are placing on the industry. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), oil's steep climb could hit airlines for an additional US$5.5 billion (2.9 billion pounds sterling) this year. Total industry-wide losses from 2001 through 2005 could hit an astonishing US$40 billion. Even IATA chief Giovanni Bisignani declared the battered airline industry "fragmented, constrained and quite frankly in many places a disaster." Elsewhere, a study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which represents 30 nations, reveals a downward revision to global growth this year. From a November 2004 forecast of 2.9% GDP growth for its members, the group trimmed that to 2.8%. That follows 3.4% expansion in 2004. The OECD cited sharp slowdowns in Japan and Germany, coupled with the runup in oil prices, and high US deficits. Japan's forecast was slashed from 2.3% to 0.8%, following its dismal fourth quarter, while Eurozone numbers were lowered from 2.2% to 1.6%. The US is expected to post growth of 3.8%, while China and India exceed 8%. For 2006, the OECD currently projects a 3% growth rate within the group.

Read more analysis from the 247Profits Group every trading day with the FREE 247Profits e-Dispatch, featuring insightful economic commentary, profitable investment recommendations, and full access to a leading team of financial experts. Register for free here: http://www.investorsobserver.com/TP

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR 8:30 A.M. March Import Prices 8:30 A.M. April Empire State Mfg Index 9:00 A.M. Feb Treasury Intl Capital Flows 9:15 A.M. March Indus Production 9:15 A.M. March Capacity Utilization 9:45 A.M. April Prelim University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index

The Mankus-Lavelle Group is an independent brokerage branch of brokersXpress, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. The Mankus-Lavelle Group has some of the most experienced, respected options professionals in the industry. Both novice option investors and experienced traders are attracted to MLG. Less experienced investors appreciate Mankus- Lavelle Group's friendly expert guidance while more seasoned investors value Mankus-Lavelle Group's highly trained staff of option experts. To improve your understanding of options get a free option kit at: http://www.mlgos.com/ .

If you are familiar with stock investing but not sure what options can do for you, call 1-800-230-5570 for a FREE 3-point portfolio check up.

Securities offered through brokersXpress, LLC. Member NASD/SPIC. Corporate Office: 39 South LaSalle Street - Suite 220 - Chicago, Illinois 60603-1608

brokersXpress(SM) is the online broker-dealer for independent reps and advisors. Powered by the award-winning technology of optionsXpress(R), its parent company, brokersXpress provides a leading-edge trading platform particularly powerful for reps and advisors who employ option strategies. For more information on how partnering with brokersXpress can empower your business to new levels, contact us confidentially by e-mail at independence@brokersXpress.com. Member NASD/SPIC. CRD# 127081

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

Quote.com QCharts - Real time quotes and streaming technical charts to keep you up with the market. Analyze, predict, and stay ahead. For a Free 30 day trial go to: http://www.investorsobserver.com/MUQuote2

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.investorsobserver.com/poweropt

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 Michael at 800-230-5570 or at http://www.cboe.com/Resources/Intro.asp. Privacy policy available upon request.