Microsoft Corp. today announced that the StockScouter benchmark portfolio, featured on the CNBC on MSN� Money online personal finance service, outperformed the S&P 500 by 34.9 percentage points from August 2001 through August 2002. Launched in July 2001, the unique stock-rating system, found at http://money.msn.com/, enables consumers to quickly and objectively assess a stock's potential for outperforming the broader market within a six- to 12-month period.

"These results are a testament to the effectiveness of the StockScouter system in using state-of-the-art technology to rate stocks' potential for outperforming the market," said Chris Jolley, director of marketing for the financial products group at Microsoft. "Unlike other stock ratings, StockScouter reveals the 'secret sauce,' sharing the ingredients behind the number to help consumers make smarter investment decisions." Monthly performance results of the StockScouter benchmark portfolio* can be reviewed in CNBC on MSN Money managing editor Jon Markman's SuperModels column, found at http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/p30306.asp?special=msn. The following are among the StockScouter's results: