Press Release Details

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 08, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The internal research group of H&R Block Financial Advisors, known as the Investment Management Department (IMD), announced their Top Picks for 2006 has outperformed the S&P 500 by 2.2% for the first quarter of the calendar year.

According to an independent research review by Zack's Investment Research, H&R Block Financial Advisors' Top Picks for 2006 aggregate selections returned 6.4% during the first quarter of 2006 as compared to a 4.2% return for the S&P 500.

"We feel very good about the opportunity we've outlined for our clients with these equity selections," said Joan Cohen, President of H&R Block Financial Advisors. "Our IMD group works hard to find these kinds of opportunities that advisors are able to bring to the table for the clients."

According to Cohen, IMD issued their Top Picks for 2006 on Nov. 6 last year to capture the most compelling investment ideas from a diverse team of research analysts. She said, "In our opinion, these equities offer the most attractive total return potential for 2006."

Although the list is not an asset allocation model, the equity picks represent companies in a comprehensive set of sectors including consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financial services, health care, industrials, technology, telecommunications, and utilities.

"Our list of 19 equities was compiled by our internal team of sector analysts," said Lyle Schonberger, Director of IMD for the firm. "Based on our proprietary research and market outlook for the rest of the year, we believe these companies are still well-positioned to outperform in 2006." According to Schonberger, the stock picks are based upon rigorous analysis around the fundamental factors of valuation, competitive position, and market conditions.

Some of the first quarter highlights from the list are included in the table below.

                                                    Q1 Implied
Company                   Ticker       Exchange        Yield

3M Company                  MMM          NYSE          2.43%
FPL Group Inc.              FPL          NYSE          3.74%
Global Santa Fe Corp.       GSF          NYSE          1.48%
Intel Corp                 INTC         NASDAQ         2.06%
Verizon Communications      VZ           NYSE          4.76%
Wachovia Corp.              WB           NYSE          3.64%

Other compelling examples of the picks are International Speedway Corp. because of the impressive growth of motor sports (now the second largest audience behind the NFL) and Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. due to its emerging profitability and interesting product pipeline. Stryker Corp., a maker of orthopedic and other medical devices, is an interesting pick because it is taking advantage of long-term demographic trends that favor our aging population. Another pick of note is FPL Group Inc., a leader in harnessing wind and solar power -- alternatives to fossil fuel sources.

Schonberger indicates this list and other tools his department provides go a long way to helping clients achieve their financial objectives. "Our Top Picks list, model portfolios, and analyst research help our advisors present an entire arsenal of options from which they can build a financial plan together and carefully track its progress."

He indicated the unique opportunity his department presents financial advisors is not found many places in the securities industry. "Because we don't have equity investment banking ties or proprietary products, our advisors can directly call me or anyone in IMD to gain deeper insight into an investment option. We feel this ensures advisors provide appropriate and successful advice to clients."

NOTE: Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, and actual results may vary. Please be sure to review our full reports and updates for additional details and potential conflicts of interest.

About H&R Block

H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is a leading provider of tax, financial, mortgage, accounting and business consulting services and products. H&R Block is the world's largest tax services provider, having prepared more than 400 million tax returns since 1955. The company and its subsidiaries generated revenues of $4.4 billion and net income of $624 million in fiscal year 2005 from operations in four principal business segments: tax preparation and advice via in-office, online and software solutions; investment and financial advisory services; retail and wholesale mortgage services; and tax/accounting/business consulting services for mid-sized businesses. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., H&R Block markets its services and products under three leading brands - H&R Block, Option One and RSM McGladrey. For more information visit our Online Press Center at www.hrblock.com.

H&R Block Financial Advisors provides brokerage services and investment planning in the U.S. Services offered include traditional brokerage services, as well as annuities, insurance, fee-based accounts, online account access, equity research and focus lists, model portfolios, asset allocation strategies and other investment tools and information. H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc. is a registered broker-dealer with the SEC and member of the NYSE, SIPC and NASD.

SOURCE: H&R Block

H&R Block
Dan Grubbs, 816-932-4894