A Menu of Investment Opportunities

If you screen the data by certain investment criteria, some companies pop out. 
Be careful, though. Unusually high or low percentages may be a sign of trouble. 
This is just a starting point for further research


LOW P-E RATIO, HIGH EARNINGS GROWTH
These companies have a low p-e ratio (based on 1998 eps), and 1998 earnings are 
forecast to increase smartly
                                     PERCENT CHANGE
                                 P-E          EARNINGS
                                RATIO         1997-98
KAISER ALUMINUM                  6.7           148%
ALUMAX                           7.9            63
ADVANTA                          9.8            98
STANDARD PRODUCTS                9.1            68
PROSOURCE                       10.5           145
ARKANSAS BEST                    9.2            59
REYNOLDS METALS                 10.6            88
ALUMINUM CO. OF AMERICA          9.6            49
GREEN TREE FINANCIAL             8.5            44
AMERCO                           9.4            47


STOCKS WITH BIG PRICE INCREASES
The prices of these companies' stocks jumped the most in 1997

                                      PERCENT
                                      CHANGE
                            (DEC. 31, 1996-NOV. 28, 1997)
AMES DEPT. STORES                       294%
DELL COMPUTER                           217
MERISEL                                 183
CALIBER SYSTEM                          178
BEST BUY                                174
AIRBORNE FREIGHT                        172
MICHAELS STORES                         170
CABLEVISION SYSTEMS                     168
ARKANSAS BEST                           151
NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL                  141


CHEAP STOCKS
Companies with both a low price-to-book percentage and a low price-earnings 
ratio

                      PRICE AS                1998
                      PERCENT OF               P-E
                      BOOK VALUE              RATIO
NATIONAL STEEL            88%                  5.5
WHX                       48                   8.5
SERVICE MERCHANDISE      100                   6.8
WEIRTON STEEL            100                   8.8
ALUMAX                   107                   7.9
UNITED AUTO GROUP         82                   9.7
AMERICA WEST HOLDINGS    107                   8.8
INLAND STEEL INDUSTRIES  100                   9.7
ENTERGY                   93                  10.0
U.S. HOME                106                   9.4



HIGH HOPES FOR EARNINGS


BIG-CAP COMPANIES
Market value $5 billion or more

                                  PERCENT CHANGE
                                      1997-98
DIGITAL EQUIPMENT                       259%
LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES                     238
BOEING                                  236
BAKER HUGHES                            197
INTERNATIONAL PAPER                     153
GEORGIA-PACIFIC                         142
WORLDCOM                                123
ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND                   92
AMERADA HESS                             83
CISCO SYSTEMS                            72



MID-CAP COMPANIES
Market value between $1 and $5 billion

                                  PERCENT CHANGE
                                      1997-98
TELEPHONE & DATA SYSTEMS                416%
BOWATER                                 203
CHIQUITA BRANDS INTL.                   189
GOLDEN STATE BANCORP                    187
UNION CAMP                              160
TEMPLE-INLAND                           156
WILLAMETTE INDUSTRIES                   152
FRUIT OF THE LOOM                       150
PALL                                    121
IKON OFFICE SOLUTIONS                   110


SMALL-CAP COMPANIES
Market value less than $1 billion

                                   PERCENT CHANGE
                                      1997-98
MAGELLAN HEALTH SERVICES                944%
COVENTRY                                630
VALUE CITY DEPT. STORES                 358
COLLINS & AIKMAN                        356
HUNT (J.B.) TRANSPORT SVCS.             217
KAISER ALUMINUM                         148
PROSOURCE                               145
MID ATLANTIC MEDICAL SVCS.              142
COLEMAN                                 113
DOMINICK'S SUPERMARKETS                  94


DATA: AS OF NOV. 28, I/B/E/S INTERNATIONAL INC., STANDARD & POOR'S COMPUSTAT,
A DIVISION OF THE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIES