Nucor Corp. (NYSE: NUE) opened at $61.05. So far today the stock has hit a low of $61.05 and a high of $62.49. As of 10:55, NUE is trading at $62.46, up $2.38 (4.0%).

After hitting a one year high of $69.93 on June 1, the stock dropped sharply over the next four weeks before rebounding at the end of the month. NUE is jumping this morning as a buyout in the sector is lifting all the steel stocks. Gerdau Ameristeel (NYSE: GNA) announced yesterday after the close that it will buy Chaparral Steel (NASDAQ: CHAP) for $4.22 billion. Technical indicators for NUE are bearish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider an August bull-put credit spread above the $55 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of call options to hedge risk and leverage returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 9.9% return in less than 2 months as long as NUE is above $55 at August expiration. NUE would have to fall by more than 11% before we would start to lose money.

NUE hasn't been below $55 for more than a few days since October and has shown support around $57 recently. This trade could be risky if the company's earnings (due out July 19) disappoint, but even if that happens, it looks like this position could be protected by some support the stock has around $55.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer. DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in NUE, CHAP, or GNA.

Last December, over 100 stocks were featured in our Top Picks for 2007 report. Now, at mid-year, we turn to the 20 advisors whose picks showed the strongest gains to get an update on their previous picks, as well as a new favorite stock for the second half of the year.

Neil Macneale, editor of 2 for 1 (a newsletter focused exclusively on stocks that have announced stock splits), chose two stocks in the Top Picks for 2007 report, and both picks qualified him for our Top 20 Advisors. His previous selections were Chaparrel Steel Co. (NASDAQ: CHAP) and Steel Dynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD).

As of June 1, 2007, Steel Dynamics has risen 49%. while Chapparel had scored a gain of 67%. Here is Neil's original recommendation for these issues.

Updating his outlook on these steel stock, he now says, "This rate of return cannot continue forever, but there is every reason to believe these remain good stocks to own.

"Steel should continue to perform, given the strength of the economy, even without a strong housing market. As the housing market improves, steel should get even stronger. In both cases, fundamentals for these companies remain strong and the stocks still sell at a discount to their peers."

DOW JONES & COMPANY (NYSE: DJ)

Could it happen? Could News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) pull its offer? They could, and the fear is absolutely there. That's why the stock has fallen. For one, the Bancroft family, which controls the majority of Dow Jones' shares, hasn't formally accepted Rupert Murdoch's $5B, $60 a share offer. And no one else has come forward with a competing bid. But it does seem that both sides are moving together in the same direction. Okay, but somebody should make up their mind -- either way -- and stop fiddling around.

EXPEDIA INC (NASDAQ: EXPE), IAC/INTERACTIVECORP (NASDAQ: IACI)

Barry Diller is back at it. The chairman and CEO of IAC/InteractiveCorp, who is also chairman of the board and a senior advisor to Expedia, is working to take online travel firm Expedia private at $30 a share. Part of any deal will involve Expedia's TripAdvisor being spun off with about 400 jobs being lost in that shuffle.

PENN NATIONAL GAMING INC (NASDAQ: PENN)

After many, many laps around the track, this race is over, as race track and casino operator Penn agreed to be acquired today by Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG) and private equity firm Centerbridge Partners. All cash, baby, in a deal worth $8.9B that includes $2.8B of assumed debt. Everyone to the Winner's Circle.

Hour by hour, day to day, week after week, there's usually a fairly significant list of potential takeover candidates, LBOs, or word of a cash infusion from private equity firms. You look them over, and usually out pop some interesting tidbits. So here, dear reader, we go:

CHAPARRAL STEEL COMPANY (NASDAQ: CHAP)

Down in Midlothian, Texas there's a big old "For Sale" sign posted right out there on Ward Rd. That's right. The folks at Chaparral Steel have put the word out: "Come on down." Don't know if that was Goldman Sachs' (GS) idea or not, but those Yankees are there in force looking over them "strategic alternatives." And they're good at it, too. It's probably going to be a sale, but nothing wrong with a partnership, merger recapitalization or taking over another fella's firm. You know? Or who knows, they could decide to sit pretty a while longer. Anyway, the second largest producer of structural steel beams in all North America sure likes to let its neighbors know what it's up to. Right friendly, don't you think? The stock price sure likes it, cause it's moving right up there with all that news.

In his small cap growth oriented newsletter, Upside, editor Richard Moroney uses a ranking system known as Quadrix that assesses a stock based on a wide variety of fundamental, financial and technical factors.

A rarity in this system, Chaparral Steel (NASDAQ: CHAP) earns a 100 out of 100 rating. Chaparral, he notes, is the second-largest supplier of structural steel in North America.

The firm specializes in structural beams and steel bars, which are used for commercial construction. Its two minimill plants, he notes, use recycled steel that comes primarily from shredded automobiles.

Looking ahead, he says, "the company should benefit from robust demand, decent pricing, and strict cost controls." In addition, he notes that last November the company paid its first quarterly dividend, initially set at $0.10 per share.

Further, he observes, management has authorized a share-repurchase program of to $100 million. Earnings estimates for this year and next have trended higher and for fiscal 2007 ending May, he notes that consensus estimates project per-share profits will be up 50% to $4.99.

He concludes, "With the maximum overall Quadrix score of 100, Chaparral is being added to our coverage as a Buy."

For more stock picks from the leading financial newsletter advisors, visit Steven Halpern's free daily website, TheStockAdvisors.com.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Stock split expert Neil Macneale looks to the steel industry for both of his picks for 2007; Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) is his top conservative investment while Chaparral Steel (NASDAQ: CHAP) gets the nod as his favorite speculation.

The editor of 2-for-1 explains, "As a group, stocks that have split have been found to outperform the market and, by investing only in splits, the portfolio is exploiting that anomaly. Our model portfolio is 'laddered' by buying and selling one stock each month, thus keeping the portfolio constantly at 30 stocks.

"Several steel companies and mining companies have announced splits in the recent months. Steel is historically a cyclical business, but the U.S. economy is strong at the moment, and should only get stronger as the housing sector recovers.

"In addition, U.S. steel companies now have pricing power they haven't enjoyed for decades, due to demand in Asia for their own locally produced steel. For these reasons steel, in general, should have a good run for the next year or two, and two companies, in particular, are well positioned to lead the pack.