Schaeffer's Daily Market Blog Features: Dell, Home Depot, Andersons, Marathon Oil, and Amazon.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the July 10 edition of Schaeffer's Market Blog are Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), Home Depot (NYSE:HD), Andersons (NASDAQ:ANDE), Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO), and Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN). Schaeffer's Market Blog is just one of the many free market commentaries written

every day at www.SchaeffersResearch.com - the home of Bernie Schaeffer and Schaeffer's Investment Research. The Market Blog is written throughout every trading day by Schaeffer's financial analysts and traders. They are quick insights to the day's most notable market activity from an options perspective. For additional information about this report or to have it delivered to you free via email every day click on the following link. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB12M&PAGE=1 .

Schaeffer's Market Blog for Monday, July 10, 2006:

Below are just a few of today's Market Blog entries. Click here to read all of today's Market Blog. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB1C&PAGE=1 .

9:54 AM Free Stock Picks in our Podcast Interviews

Don't forget that many of our observations are available as audio presentations that you can hear on your computer or download from Apple's iTunes Music Store to play on a portable device such as an iPod. To see the full menu of observations, please visit http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/commentary/podcasts/.

2:09 PM Dell Downgraded

Early in the afternoon session, computer maker Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) hit its lowest level since February 2003. Brokerage Moors and Cabot reiterated the stock at a "sell" and, sure enough, a selling spree has brought the stock down almost two percent, leaving it, at last check, at $23.42

It's difficult to find any chart data to encourage buyers. Last month, the stock breached its 10-month moving average, and this month it fell through its 20-month trendline. Nevertheless, optimism still surrounds the stock. Short interest amounts to less than two percent of the stock's float, and the Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) for DELL is lower than 80 percent of those taken during the past year, warning of high expectation in the options pits.

From a contrarian perspective, the sentiment lines up with the technicals, suggesting that the path of least resistance still leads to the downside.

1:51 PM Calls Active on Home Depot

Call options seem to be getting more popular on Home Depot (NYSE:HD) even as the stock continues to make new 52-week lows. Perhaps these traders think they're getting a bargain, and are playing for a bounce in the shares. Such optimism toward a declining stock can be hazardous. Today's option activity on HD includes call volume that is running at more than four times put volume. I'd be wary of the stock for at least the near-term future.

12:28 PM Andersons to Run Marathon Ethanol Plants

According to Hoover's, Andersons (NASDAQ:ANDE) buys, conditions, and resells corn, soybeans, and wheat through elevators and terminals located in the Midwest. Most of its grain production is sold in the U.S. At last check, the stock was up more than 11 percent on news that ANDE has signed a letter of intent with Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) to operate ethanol plants. An initial plant would produce 110 million gallons per year, but MRO's Vice President of Investor Relations and Public Affairs Ken Matheny said: "We really don't have any expectations (for the number of plants) yet."

From a technical perspective, the stock might struggle now. ANDE has run into its overhead 10-week trendline. A break above this potential resistance would be reassuring.

11:59 AM Add To Shopping Cart

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) was up half a percent at last check, to $36.28. After a retest of support at 35 in May and June, the stock seems to have found support at 36 now, with its 10-week, 20-week, and 20-day moving averages all ready to give it a nudge higher. In the options pits, peak put open interest lies at the 35 strike in the July and August series, adding further layers of support to guard against a pullback. With almost 12 percent of AMZN's float sold short, we might see some interesting developments from this e-commerce heavyweight in the coming weeks.

For more information on these stocks or any stock in your portfolio, feel free to visit our Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard feature. Click here to read all of today's Market Blog: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB1C&PAGE=1 .

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About Schaeffer's Investment Research (www.SchaeffersResearch.com)

Schaeffer's Investment Research, founded by Bernie Schaeffer in 1981, is a financial information and trading resources company. It publishes Bernie Schaeffer's Option Advisor, the nation's leading options subscription newsletter. The firm's contrarian approach focuses on stocks with technical and fundamental trends that run counter to investor expectations. The firm's website, http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com , is recognized as one of the leading information sources for stock and options traders and was cited as the top options website by both Forbes and Barron's. Click here for more details about Schaeffer's trading methodology: http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com/method .