MORNING UPDATE: Mankus-Lavelle Group Issues Alerts for BRCD, ACN, ELX,

CHICAGO, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Mankus-Lavelle Group issues the following Morning Update at 8:30 AM EDT with new PriceWatch Alerts for key stocks.

Before the open... PriceWatch Alerts for BRCD, ACN, ELX, USG, and NFLX, Market Overview, Today's Economic Calendar, and the Quote Of The Day.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Everybody is hoping that oil prices decline. But oil is really in the hands of speculators here, which exaggerates price movement."

-- Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer, Solaris Asset Management New PriceWatch Alerts for BRCD, ACN, ELX, USG, and NFLX... PRICEWATCH ALERTS - HIGH RETURN COVERED CALL OPTIONS -- Brocade Communications Systems Inc. Last Price 5.77 - OCT 5.00 CALL OPTION@ $1.15 -> 8.2 % Return assigned* -- Accenture Ltd. Class A Last Price 23.70 - AUG 22.50 CALL OPTION@ $2.30 -> 5.1 % Return assigned* -- Emulex Corp. Last Price 18.92 - JUL 17.50 CALL OPTION@ $2.30 -> 5.3 % Return assigned* -- USG Corp. Last Price 35.76 - MAY 32.50 CALL OPTION@ $5.40 -> 7.0 % Return assigned* -- Netflix Inc. Last Price 12.01 - SEP 10.00 CALL OPTION@ $2.45 -> 4.6 % 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, Microsoft Corp., Bausch & Lomb Inc., and BP PLC lead the list of companies with the most news stories while OfficeMax Inc. and Alamosa Holdings Inc. are showing a spike in news. RR Donnelley and Sons Co., Freescale Semiconductor Inc., and Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV have the highest srtIndex scores to top the list of companies with positive news while Ford Motor Co. and Blue Coat Systems Inc. lead the list of companies with negative news reports. Circuit City Stores Inc. 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

Trading overseas is off to a rough start today, as only two of the 15 markets that we follow are in positive territory. The cumulative average return on the group stands at a 0.385-percent loss. European shares tumbled today due to decline in European carmakers after U.S. car giant Ford Motor trimmed its 2005 profits projection late Friday. Furthermore, the French statistic agency INSEE reported that industrial output fell 0.5 percent in February, against an expected rise of 0.2 percent on the month. French manufacturing output, excluding food and energy, declined one percent in February on the month.

The May contract on sweet crude oil logged its fourth consecutive losing session in a row after shedding 79 cents in Friday's session. Not only has the crude futures contract fallen to its lowest level in three weeks, but crude prices have plunged more than 8.5 percent since hitting an all-time high of $58.28 per barrel last Monday.

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

Rising inflation. Rising oil prices. Job growth that stagnated in March. Sounds like a rather gloomy picture. Or is it? One might think that with the US economy facing several tough challenges like these, prospects would be grim. However, according to recent surveys of America's small business leaders, that's not necessarily the case. American Express took the issue to 627 of America's small businesses, with an interestingly upbeat outcome. The results, reported in the New York Times, show an impressive 85% of owners and executives saying that they see good growth opportunities within the next six months. That's up 13% from this time last year and from 56% in 2003. Additionally, almost 60% said they expected 2005 sales to beat 2004. A separate survey from online television network SBTV.com showed that more than three-quarters of small business owners plan to pump more investment into technology this year. With an economy in the throes of a sustained recovery, it's essential that small-cap companies and small businesses underpin the resurgence, since it is they who do the bulk of the hiring, and offer the best opportunity for growth, as they supply the larger companies with equipment. Speaking of hiring, just 44% said they plan to boost employment in the near future -- but that was up from 35% from last October. While the nation's small businesses are feeling relatively upbeat on their future prospects, the same cannot be said for the broader US economy, according to the latest Bloomberg survey. Following solid 3.9% GDP expansion over the first half of 2005, the panel of economists expects the pace to slow to a more moderate 3.5% during the second half of the year. Again, rising inflation and oil prices (resulting in current high gasoline prices) will contribute to a slowdown in consumer spending.

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 11:00 A.M. March Kansas City Fed Mfg Index. (+32) 12:55 P.M. Pres Bush, Israeli PM Sharon hold press conference at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas 7:30 P.M. Atlanta Fed President Guynn speaks on ethics and financial markets at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va.

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.