Boston area investment research firm says "Sell Microsoft stock!"

30-year old firm Contravisory Research & Managment has issued a "sell" order for Microsoft stock. The firm's recommendation is based on relative strength; this firm was ahead of the curve in recommending selling Enron and World Com also.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jim Farrell, PR First, 781-681-6616, jfarrell@prfirst.com

Market watch...
Hingham investment firm raises red flag on Microsoft stock; urges investors sell"

HINGHAM, MA (PRWEB) JULY 3, 2003 -- Bill Gates may own" the world of personal computers and software, but in the view of an established and respected investment management and research firm, his companys stock is weak and getting weaker.

Contravisory Research & Management Corp. today urged investors to sell their Microsoft shares. The stock, currently offered around $25 per share, is in a weak position, says Ed Noonan, founder of the 30-year old Hingham firm.

Noonans perception on the market is well-respected. His firm was way ahead of the curve on both World Com and Enron stock, and his firm urged investors to sell aerospace/defense stock even as the United States was gearing up for war with Iraq.

We base our recommendations on relative strength," said Noonan, adding, Were less concerned with whether the market 'had a good day. We look long term and at underlying signals and base our recommendations on that.

Their recommendations have a strong track record. In a five-year comparison, from 1998-2002, with Standard and Poor and most bond and mutual funds, the Contravisory portfolio of recommended stocks yielded a 70% return on investment, as opposed to others that lost money or barely broke even.

Noonan noted that the investors who have made money in a down market are the ones who are not afraid to sell. Wall Street urges people to buy stocks. However, not long ago, sell orders accounted for a half a percent of all transactions. Now, were seeing the 'sell disciplines approaching 10%."

Derby Street" advice may differ from Wall Street" He added, The advice we offer here on Derby Street (in Hingham) is a little different than what you might hear from Wall Street."

Ironically, Contravisory believes that Microsofts success and phenomenal growth is what is driving the stock into a weaker position. Theyre not as nimble as they once were," he said. As companies grow exponentially, they sometimes need to slow down so that their infrastructure and systems can meet and accommodate that growth. We see the same thing happening to Microsoft that happened to IBM." He further cited the presence of Linux as a competitive challenge to the computer giant.

Were not suggesting that the stock price is going to drop ten dollars tomorrow," he said. However, from a relative strength position, we dont see it getting better. We issue the 'sell order to insulate clients from losses and to rotate into more promising companies."

Contravisorys track record of identifying trends in the market is extremely strong. The Hingham-based firms equity model portfolio consistently outperforms those of 15 major brokerage houses in their own benchmark surveys, as compared to two published reports in the Wall Street Journal. Contravisorys results, compared to a November 18, 2002 Wall Street Journal article that evaluated fifteen top brokerage houses, showed a 68% increase over five years, topping the published results of key brokerage houses including Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Raymond James, Edward Jones, Credit Suisse F.B., Prudential Securities, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, A.G. Edwards, Lehman Bros., U.S. Bancorp Piper JAF, Salomon S.B., Bank of America, RBC Dain Rauscher, and J.P. Morgan Sec.

Contravisorys results were equally impressive when compared with a published report August 22, 2002, where Contravisory's results showed a 121% increase over five years, again higher than the published results of the same key brokerage houses.

Contravisory's recommendations come from its own proprietary research methods, which are entirely internal research. The firm is often sought out by key players in the industry for initial research or corroboration of outside research.

About Contravisory Research & Management Corp.
Contravisory Research & Management Corp. was established in 1972 by Edward Noonan, who had been associated with several investment firms as a bond and equity research analyst prior to the founding of this firm. The firm is a recognized leader in market research and uses a proprietary, technical/quantitative methodology to identify the long-term trend of stocks and industry groups. This technology is supported by a real-time database of more than 400,000 buy/sell signals and a history of solid performance since 1972.

In addition to market research, Contravisory also manages investment portfolios for individuals, families, profit-sharing plans and corporations and is currently managing more than $100 million in assets for private investors. Today, Mr. Noonan is joined by two sons, William M. Noonan and Philip A. Noonan, who serve in the capacity of Vice Presidents. The firm maintains headquarters at 99 Derby Street, Hingham, MA 02043. For additional information about services, please call (781) 749-3380 or visit www.contravisory.com.

Editors: If you are interested in receiving 'monthly updates, or would like to speak with either Ed or Phil Noonan to learn more about their research methods or an individual assessment of the market, please call Jim Farrell at 781-681-6616.