In This Issue:

•Markets Are Never Wrong?: Use periods of weakness to position for better year-end performance.
•STARS Status: Changes in S&P analysts' STARS rankings for June 26 through July 7.
•Stocks for the Risk-Averse: Recent market volatility has given investors a case of the jitters. Here are what we consider some safe havens in an uncertain time.
•The Mid-Year PowerPicks Portfolio 2006: S&P equity analysts have assembled a diversified portfolio of stocks that they think will significantly outperform the S&P 500 index over the next 12 months.
•Master List Stocks Update: Our three supervised Master List groups of stocks, recommended as core holdings for long-term investors, are regularly featured on these two pages. The Total Return Portfolio, highlighted this week, consists of stocks we like for income.
•Industry Momentum Portfolio: This S&P portfolio identifies industry sectors with potential for above-average price performance.

Some of the Companies Featured:

Allstate
Altria
AmSouth Bancorp.
Bank of America
Bank of Hawaii
Cascade Microtech
Decode Genetics
Focus Media
InPhonic
Kirby
Pennsylvania REIT
Ninetowns Digital World Trade
RSA Security
TCF Financial
TXU Corp.

S&P Information Products

Browse S&P industry research products by category:

S&P Industry Surveys
S&P Industry Stock Reports
The Outlook
Search Engine Survey
Pocket Guides
Power Picks

About Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's is one of the world's preeminent providers of credit ratings, and for such globally recognized financial-market indices as the S&P 500®. S&P also provides a wide range of other products and services designed to help individuals and institutions around the world make better-informed financial decisions with greater confidence.