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                                The Motley Fool's Rule Maker Ranker
                                Version 3 -- Updated June 2000

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                                                                                 (Please read all three of these competitor comments.)
Financial AnalysiCompany Being Evaluated                          Competitor #1   Competitor #2  Competitor #3

                 Abercrombie & Fitch                                   Gap           Limited      Amer Eagle
                     FY '99         FY '98     Year-over-Year   FY '99 1/29/2000  FY '99 1/2000     FY '99
                     1/29/00        1/30/98        Growth            1/29/00         1/29/00        1/29/00
Income Statement
  Sales               1,042,056        815,804      27.7%             11,635,398      9,723,334        832,104
  Cost of Goods S       576,473        471,853      22.2%              6,775,262      6,365,857        475,596
  Net Income            149,604        102,062      46.6%               1,127,065        460,759        48,742
  Shares Outstand       102,100        102,018      0.1%

Balance Sheet
  Cash & Equivale       147,908        163,564      -9.6%                450,352        817,268         76,581
  Current Assets        300,217        218,235      37.6%               2,197,790     2,246,277        262,562
  Short-term Debt             0              0     No Debt               168,961        250,000              0
  Current Liabili       137,866        122,345      12.7%              1,752,879      1,238,206         88,425
  Long-term Debt          9,206         10,828     -15.0%                 784,925       400,000          1,702

Cash Flow Statement
  Operating Cash        153,809        173,083     -11.1%              1,477,928        586,326        132,912
  Capital Expendi        83,824         41,876     100.2%              1,238,722        375,405         45,556
                                                                                1              1              1
Margins & Ratios . . .                                                                                         Competitors' Average
  Gross Margins            44.7%          42.2%      2.5                    41.8%          34.5%          42.8%     39.7%
  Net Margins              14.4%          12.5%      1.8                     9.7%           4.7%           5.9%      6.8%
  Cash-to-Debt             16.07          15.11     6.4%                     0.47           1.26          44.99      0.84
  Net Cash              138702.0       152736.0     -9.2%               -503534.0       167268.0        74879.0  -87129.0
  Fool Flow Ratio           1.10           0.45    147.2%                    1.10           1.45           2.10      1.55
  Cash King Margi           6.7%          16.1%     -9.4                     2.1%           2.2%          10.5%      4.9%


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Ranking Rule Makers

1) Brand          Points (0-1)                                  3) Financial Dire Points (0-3)
Familiarity                    1                                Sales Growth                   3
Openness                       1                                Gross Margins                  3
Optimism                       1                                Net Margins                    3
Legitimacy                     1                                Shares Outstandin              2
Inevitability                  0                                Cash-to-Debt                   2
Solitariness                   0                                Fool Flow Ratio                0
Humor                          0                                Expansion Potenti              1
  Subtotal                     4                                  Subtotal                    14

2) Financial Loca Points (0-2)                                  4) Monopoly Statu Points (0-4)
Mass Market Habit              1                                Gross Margins                  2
Gross Margins                  1                                Net Margins                    4
Net Margins                    2                                Net Cash                       4
Cash-to-Debt                   2                                Fool Flow Ratio                4
Fool Flow Ratio                1                                Convenience                    4
Your Interest                  1                                  Subtotal                    18
  Subtotal                     8
                                                                5) Your  Enjoyment

                   Total Score               44