Investment Clubs Like Home Improvement

Cambridge, MA – ICLUBcentral Inc., the market leader in investment club software and web services, released the list of the most widely-held stocks owned by investment clubs as of August 1, 2005, as recorded by active clubs using the company's Club Accounting Online investment club web service (http://www.naic-club.com).

Topping the investment club stock list for July 2005 is home improvement retailer Home Depot, owned by 40.3% of investment clubs. Close behind Home Depot in popularity are pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (held by 40.0% of clubs) and General Electric (35.3%). Harley-Davidson and Cisco Systems round out the top five slots.

The complete list of the ten most popular stocks, listed in order of the total number of clubs holding each stock, is as follows:

Top-Held Stocks by Investment Clubs, ranked by % of Clubs Holding*

1. Home Depot Inc. (HD) — 40.3%

2. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) — 40.0%

3. General Electric Co. (GE) — 35.3%

4. Harley-Davidson Inc. (HDI) — 21.6%

5. Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) — 21.4%

6. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) — 20.0%

7. Intel Corp. (INTC) — 18.7%

8. Johnson & Johnson Inc. (JNJ) — 18.6%

9. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) — 17.2%

10. Walgreen Co. (WAG) — 16.7%

* As of August 1, 2005

When ranked by total dollars invested by clubs, Home Depot still tops the list, followed by General Electric and domestic merchandise superstore operator Bed Bath & Beyond. Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Walgreens are close behind in the total amount invested by clubs.

Top-Held Stocks by Investment Clubs, ranked by Total $ Invested*

1. Home Depot Inc. (HD)

2. General Electric Co. (GE)

3. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY)

4. Pfizer Inc. (PFE)

5. Johnson & Johnson Inc. (JNJ)

6. Walgreens Co. (WAG)

7. Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO)

8. Amgen Inc. (AMGN)

9. Harley Davidson (HDI)

10. Lowe's Companies (LOW)

* As of August 1, 2005

"In considering stocks for their portfolios, America's investment clubs are looking closely at the products they use and the stores where they shop," commented Douglas Gerlach, ICLUBcentral's President and the author of Investment Clubs for Dummies. "Consumer retail, technology, and pharmaceuticals are the most popular industry groups held by investment clubs."

"But clubs have a wild side, as well," he added. "Harley-Davidson is the fourth most popular stock in club portfolios."

Investment clubs typically meet once a month, and members typically contribute anywhere from $20 to $100 each to invest in the club's joint portfolio. Most clubs invest directly in stocks, learning and applying the mechanics of stock selection while building a diversified portfolio of high-quality, growth-oriented companies to be held for the long term.

About Club Accounting Online

ICLUBcentral's Club Accounting Online is the most popular web-based accounting and administrative tool for investment clubs. Club Accounting Online and is the only online service approved for clubs by BetterInvesting™, the leading national non-profit organization devoted to investor education and investment clubs. Club Accounting Online is a full-featured suite of web tools for club accounting and operations, including all of the bookkeeping functionality necessary for clubs to record deposits into the club made by members as well as investments purchased by the club as a whole. The service also provides secure private message boards and calendars, file sharing, and detailed financial reports. An annual subscription is $49, and a free 60-day trial is available. For more information on Club Accounting Online, please visit http://www.naic-club.com.

About ICLUBcentral

Based in Cambridge, MA, ICLUBcentral Inc. (http://www.iclubcentral.com) — develops high-quality tools for individual investors and investment clubs, including software products, web services and the market-beating Investor Advisory Service newsletter. ICLUBcentral's products include:
* Accounting software for investment clubs: Online and Windows versions of club accounting software, plus Federal and state tax printers.
* Stock analysis software: Investor's Toolkit, Stock Analyst, Classic Plus and Take Stock.
* Stock screening software: Stock Prospector.
* Investing newsletter: the Investor Advisory Service.
For more information on ICLUBcentral's products, visit http://www.iclub.com.