-- WITH LOGO -- TO BUSINESS EDITOR:

CHICAGO, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Man Securities issues the following Morning Update at 8:30 AM EST with new PriceWatch Alerts for key stocks.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020214/MANSECLOGO )

Before the open... PriceWatch Alerts for AMZN, CMCSK, NTE, CC, and FDX, Market Overview, Today's Economic Calendar, and the Quote Of The Day.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Those numbers were much stronger than expected, and that's why the thing kind of levitated late in the day."

-- Todd Clark, head of listed trading, Wells Fargo Securities

New PriceWatch Alerts for AMZN, CMCSK, NTE, CC, and FDX...

PRICEWATCH ALERTS - HIGH RETURN COVERED CALL OPTIONS -----------

-- Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) Last Price 49.50 - APR 42.50 CALL OPTION@ $9.50 -> 6.3 % Return assigned*

-- Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSK) Last Price 30.46 - APR 30.00 CALL OPTION@ $2.20 -> 6.2 % Return assigned*

-- Nam Tai Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: NTE) Last Price 28.85 - JAN 25.00 CALL OPTION@ $5.00 -> 4.8 % Return assigned*

-- Circuit City Stores Inc. (NYSE: CC) Last Price 11.08 - APR 10.00 CALL OPTION@ $1.80 -> 7.8 % Return assigned*

-- FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) Last Price 74.31 - APR 75.00 CALL OPTION@ $3.60 -> 6.1 % 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: 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, "The Secrets of Smart Election Year Investing -
Insights, Stocks, And Strategies." go to:
www.InvestorsObserver.com/FREEelection

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

    MARKET OVERVIEW
    Overseas markets are little improved from yesterday at this time.
Currently three of the 15 markets that we track are positive.  The cumulative
average return on the group stands a minus 0.337 percent.  Consumer price data
out of the Euro-Zone for November showed a 0.1 percent rise, matching
expectations.  Also matching analysts' views, the year-over-year rate came in
at plus 2.2 percent, which is above the European Central Banks upper band of
2.0 percent.
    The economic calendar all but dries up today.  By the time some get out of
bed this morning, the Mortgage Bankers' Association Refinancing Index will be
old news.  The refinancing component of the group's report last declined by
15.5 percent.  Breaking a two-week trend lower, the MBA refinancing index rose
by 16.8 percent.  The group's purchase index rose by 9.4 percent, also
breaking a two-week slide.  Key earnings reports expected today cover two
groupings.  Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers represent the brokerage grouping,
while Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy and Circuit City will attempt to spread a
little cheer in the faltering retail sector.

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

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR

7:00 a.m.: MBA Refinancing Index (last minus 15.5 percent).

Man Financial Inc is one of the world's major futures and options brokers and has been recognized as a leading option order execution firm for individuals and institutions. Member CBOE/NASD/SIPC (CRD#6731). For more information and a free CD with educational tools to help you invest smarter, see http://www.mansecurities.com/mu.html.

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: www.investorsobserver.com/must

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

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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 Sharon at or at http://www.cboe.com/Resources/Intro.asp. Privacy policy available upon request.

SOURCE  Man Securities