Investor's Business Daily articles from December 2002

Investor's Business Daily archives from December 2002

Look For Less Volatility In Stocks Making Bases.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
December 2, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW A wild ride can be fun when it comes to roller coasters or race cars. But when it's your stock shaking you silly every day, the experience can leave you queasy. Some stocks show wider daily and weekly price swings...

Confidence Is Growing That Economic Pickup Is Real Deal This Time Stocks, Latest Data Say Yes But two links are missing: rebound in factory output and expansion of payrolls.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE First-time jobless claims dipped to a 21-month low. Third-quarter GDP came in at a healthy 4%. The manufacturing sector is showing signs of life, and durable goods orders seem to be coming back. Meanwhile,...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
December 2, 2002... BUSINESS OUTLOOK Manufacturers upbeat about '03 About seven in 10 surveyed by Fleet Capital see the economy expanding, The New York Times reported. And about as many see their own sales rising vs. just half who felt that way last year....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
December 2, 2002... MEDIA EU launches probe of Telepiu buy The in-depth antitrust probe of News Corp. and Telecom Italia's $882 mil joint buy of the Italian pay-TV operator will likely take four months. While ongoing, Telepiu owner Vivendi can't sell the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
December 2, 2002... TECHNOLOGY EU OKs official's Microsoft spot The European Commission is satisfied that an official on a three-year leave to work for the software giant won't pass on sensitive info about rivals' technology or the group's antitrust case...

THE ECONOMY.(A)
December 2, 2002... Free Trade Area opponents meet Delegates at the anti-free trade conference, held in Havana, said nations planning to join a proposed Free Trade Area for the Americas should hold referendums. President Bush hopes to establish an FTAA by...

NATION.(A)
December 2, 2002... Airports reminded of missile peril The Transportation Security Administration reminded airports of the danger posed to airliners by shoulder-mounted rocket launchers after two missiles fired from the ground narrowly missed an Israeli jet in...

WORLD.(A)
December 2, 2002... More oil heading toward Spain Coastal residents braced for the biggest oil slick yet from the tanker Prestige, which carried 20 mil gallons when it sank 150 miles out in the Atlantic Nov. 19. The latest slick contains 2.4 mil gallons of...

LEARN TO ANALYZE DETAILS Give Your Kids Courage.(A)(IBD 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
December 2, 2002... Byline: Robin Grugal 6A lot of parents are anxious about getting their kids into the right schools, even sacrificing to pay the big tuitions. But experts say many are missing a parenting detail just as important to their kids' future --...

Bishop's Grit Gave Him Wings Be Bold: World War I fighter ace was short on natural skill, but long on passion.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PETER BENESH William Avery Bishop's first flight in 1906 was a flop. He and his orange-crate flying machine took off from the veranda roof of his house and landed in a lilac bush. But 12-year-old Bishop refused to let it be his...

Online Buying Becoming A Part Of Christmas Shoppers Take To Web E-tailers say sales brisk as consumers like prices and free shipping offers.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PETE BARLAS Santa Claus is giving online retailers a reason to crow again. E-tailers are reporting record traffic and sales in the early stages of what is expected to become another record Christmas shopping season on the...

Banks Put Cash Into Their Web Sites And Add Free Services Financial companies still striving to perfect doing business online.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON In 1995, as the Internet emerged, Bank of America Corp. put up billboards in California that displayed only its Web address in large letters. As the company and others soon learned, it's not that easy to get...

Electronics Retailers Pull Out The Stops To Pull In Shoppers So-So Holiday Sales Forecast Friday morning gift buyers focused on getting deals on a few specific products.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Consumer electronics retailers pulled out all the stops to get shoppers into their stores Friday for the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. But the big challenge for the gadget dealers will be...

Buy-Not-Build Fab Strategy Builds Profit At Microchip.(A)(Q AND A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: JAMES DETAR Microcontrollers are cheap. Billions are sold each year. These processors go into things like toys, autos and consumer appliances. Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading maker. It's expected to have sales of $653...

TARO PHARMACEUTICAL LTD. Haifa Bay, Israel Drug Maker Gets Nod To Sell Generic Cream.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE After a long drought of new government approvals, generic-drug maker Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc. finally has a green light for a new product. On Nov. 26, the Food and Drug Administration approved its generic version...

MOTHERS WORK INC. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Oh Baby, Business At This Retailer Is Booming.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: MARILYN MUCH After falling for most of the 1990s, the nation's birth rate is back on the rise. In fact, women are having more children than at any time in nearly 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and...

Small-Cap Value Led Week's Advance Tech Backs Off Its Pace Japanese funds' rally picks up speed to 2.93% as gold declines 1.9%.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: DAN MOREAU Small-cap value funds led performance as the stock market put in its eighth straight week of positive returns. Small-cap value returned 2.65% in the week ended Nov. 27, according to Lipper Inc. data. Science and...

Hidden Assets.(A)(EDITORIALS)
December 2, 2002... Budget: Those who seek cuts in the deficit like to point to the "massive" debts our nation is running up. Fair enough. But what about its equally massive assets? Whenever Washington talks about deficits -- and the need to cut them -- get...

Ignoring History.(A)(EDITORIALS)
December 2, 2002... Energy Planning: A group of philanthropies has created a $10 million commission to forge a national energy policy. It's been tried before, with poor results. The National Commission on Energy Policy aims to break the congressional logjam...

New Immigrants Arrive Poor -- And Stay That Way Longer.(A)(NATIONAL ISSUE)
December 2, 2002... Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL Tony Garza is worried about the permanently poor. So, as President Bush's new ambassador to Mexico, he's pushing another amnesty for illegal aliens. Mexican President Vicente Fox wants that and more. "If we don't...

NYSE Stocks Relax After Positive Week.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: KEN HOOVER With a shortened day and little news, plus with many traders extending their holiday weekend, it was a sleepy day on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow fell 0.4% and the S&P 500 dropped 0.3%. Volume contracted by more...

Pre-Paid Legal Clears Base On Huge Trade.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: Jonah Keri Westwood One has failed to break through resistance around 40 since March, forming an eight-month base. The stock has flashed more down weeks on higher volume than up weeks, a possible red flag. It's 3% off its high. ...

Nasdaq Closes Strong Month With Mild Losses.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW The Nasdaq dipped 0.6% in a shortened session Friday as volume fell to half normal levels. The composite gained 0.7% for the week to mark its seventh up week of the last eight. It surged 11.2% for November. Logitech...

Tech Leaders Joined By Retail Breakouts.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: Craig Shaw Techs have done the heavy lifting in the latest rally, but retailers are starting to flex their muscles. Cost Plus broke out of a seven-month base Wednesday. It pulled back on lighter trade Friday, but held above its...

Focusing More On Fundamentals And Technicals.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PETE BARLAS Larry Miller has been investing in stocks for about 20 years. During most of that time, he didn't know much about the market. He relied on brokers to tell him when to buy and sell stocks. "I always felt that I...

Wal-Mart Blasted Off From 2nd-Stage Base.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: KEN HOOVER Wal-Mart had already been a big winner when it took off on a new run in 1985. It gained 2,200% between 1977 and 1983. After a two-year pause, it was ready to rumble again. As it set up for a new breakout, the company...

Confidence Is Growing That Economic Pickup Is Real Deal This Time; Stocks, Latest Data Say Yes; But two links are missing: rebound in factory output and expansion of payrolls.(A)
December 2, 2002... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE First-time jobless claims dipped to a 21-month low. Third-quarter GDP came in at a healthy 4%. The manufacturing sector is showing signs of life, and durable goods orders seem to be coming back. Meanwhile,...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
December 2, 2002... Bankruptcy Fears Hit United Air 1The No. 2 U.S. airline dived 31% to 2.51 after United Airlines mechanics rejected $700 mil in proposed wage cuts over 5.5 years. That makes the UAL unit likely to file for bankruptcy over the next two weeks...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2002... TELECOM GEAR Cisco widens telecom gear lead It grabbed 15.3% market share in Q3 on $3.84 bil in telecom gear sales, says Synergy Research. It was the third straight quarter at No. 1 and the fifth straight share gain for the firm....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2002... TECHNOLOGY EU OKs official's Microsoft spot The European Commission is satisfied that an official on a three-year leave to work for the software giant won't pass on sensitive info about rivals' technology or the group's antitrust case...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2002... U.S. stock funds' inflow of $3.5 bil in the week ended Nov. 26 were the strongest since mid-May, AMG Data Services said. Layoff talks between Fiat and its Italian unions have stalled. The debt-laden Italian carmaker plans to lay off more...

Bishop's Grit Gave Him Wings; Be Bold: World War I fighter ace was short on natural skill, but long on passion.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PETER BENESH William Avery Bishop's first flight in 1906 was a flop. He and his orange-crate flying machine took off from the veranda roof of his house and landed in a lilac bush. But 12-year-old Bishop refused to let it be his...

Online Buying Becoming A Part Of Christmas; Shoppers Take To Web; E-tailers say sales brisk as consumers like prices and free shipping offers.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PETE BARLAS Santa Claus is giving online retailers a reason to crow again. E-tailers are reporting record traffic and sales in the early stages of what is expected to become another record Christmas shopping season on the...

Banks Put Cash Into Their Web Sites; And Add Free Services; Financial companies still striving to perfect doing business online.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2002... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON In 1995, as the Internet emerged, Bank of America Corp. put up billboards in California that displayed only its Web address in large letters. As the company and others soon learned, it's not that easy to get...

Electronics Retailers Pull Out The Stops To Pull In Shoppers; So-So Holiday Sales Forecast; Friday morning gift buyers focused on getting deals on a few specific products.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2002... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Consumer electronics retailers pulled out all the stops to get shoppers into their stores Friday for the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. But the big challenge for the gadget dealers will be...

TARO PHARMACEUTICAL LTD. Haifa Bay, Israel; Drug Maker Gets Nod To Sell Generic Cream.(THE NEW AMERICA)
December 2, 2002... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE After a long drought of new government approvals, generic-drug maker Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc. finally has a green light for a new product. On Nov. 26, the Food and Drug Administration approved its generic version...

MOTHERS WORK INC. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Oh Baby, Business At This Retailer Is Booming.(THE NEW AMERICA)
December 2, 2002... Byline: MARILYN MUCH After falling for most of the 1990s, the nation's birth rate is back on the rise. In fact, women are having more children than at any time in nearly 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and...

KEY FUND HOLDINGS.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
December 2, 2002... Key Fund Holdings / Energizer Holdings was a top holding for Ariel Appreciation Fund in the latest reporting period. The company's earnings rose 438% and 80% the last two quarters. The stock has been building a base for 11 weeks after hitting a...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE NYSE Stocks Relax After Positive Week.(MAKING MONEY)
December 2, 2002... Byline: KEN HOOVER With a shortened day and little news, plus with many traders extending their holiday weekend, it was a sleepy day on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow fell 0.4% and the S&P 500 dropped 0.3%. Volume contracted by more...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Closes Strong Month With Mild Losses.(B)
December 2, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW The Nasdaq dipped 0.6% in a shortened session Friday as volume fell to half normal levels. The composite gained 0.7% for the week to mark its seventh up week of the last eight. It surged 11.2% for November. Logitech...

NO TIME, NO PROBLEM.(THE SMART INVESTOR)
December 2, 2002... In just 15 minutes a day, IBD keeps you on top of the market. Scan Internet & Technology and The New America for promising companies. Then turn to the NYSE and Nasdaq Where The Big Money's Flowing. Focus on the boldfaced market-leading stocks....

A Great Stock Often Has A Terrific Peer Or Two.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
December 3, 2002... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG It takes two to tango. Birds of a feather flock together. Two heads are better than one. Wise sayings or cliches, these phrases deserve space in your memory file as you search for a winning stock. If you...

Manufacturing Gauge Dashes Hope Economy Firing On All Cylinders Purchasers Still See Decline Order backlogs shrink for the fifth month in row as uncertainty still looms large.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE The strength that has surfaced in other parts of the economy in recent weeks doesn't seem to have found its way to the nation's manufacturing sector. The Institute of Supply Managers said Monday its Purchasing...

Techs Halt Their Lengthy Slide As Business Spending Picks Up "Caution Is Advisable'.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON The long-awaited recovery in tech stocks may be under way. Indicators of industry health have improved in the last few months. IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other bellwethers beat third-quarter earnings...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(A)(AFTER THE CLOSE)
December 3, 2002... WEST VIRGINIA will join Massachusetts' appeal of Microsoft's settlement with the Justice Dept. Other states seeking stiffer penalties have given up. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS expects Q4 chip sales to drop 2% vs. initial forecasts for a 5% fall due...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
December 3, 2002... MEDICAL EU may limit sales of J&J's Eprex The health care products giant fell 2% amid concerns French regulators won't let patients with chronic kidney failure keep using Johnson & Johnson's anemia drug, since Eprex has made anemia...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
December 3, 2002... TELECOM GEAR Merrill boosts handset forecasts It sees 474 mil cell phones sold in '03, up 15% from prior views, and 501 mil in '04, a 19% jump. Merrill Lynch raised profit views on No. 1 cell phone firm Nokia and handset chipmaker ARM....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
December 3, 2002... LEISURE Yet another cruise ship outbreak U.S. health inspectors boarded the cruise ship Carnival Fascination to investigate the latest Norwalk-like virus outbreak to hit cruise ships that sickened 194 people during a weekend cruise...

THE ECONOMY.(A)
December 3, 2002... Immigrants land half of new jobs Half of the 16 mil new U.S. wage earners in the past decade were recent immigrants, up from 27% in the 1980s, said a study by Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies. Among new male...

NATION.(A)
December 3, 2002... Hopeful Kerry into attack mode Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry of Mass. accused the Bush administration of boosting insurance companies last week while allowing 1 mil people to lose unemployment benefits just after Christmas....

WORLD.(A)
December 3, 2002... EU outlawing tobacco ads in '05 The EU will ban ads in newspapers and magazines, on the Internet and at international sporting events. The new restrictions were approved by all 15 EU nations except Britain and Germany. That gave enough...

FOCUS YOUR TIME AND MONEY Are You Deadline Serious?(A)(IBD 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
December 3, 2002... Byline: Robin Grugal 7Start a project, and before you know it, it's grown into something bigger and far more complex than you ever imagined. That's not bad per se. But what company in this environment can really afford the extra time, cost...

He Built Victory From Principle Power Of Words: Churchill used his eloquence to galvanize an embattled nation.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Winston Churchill knew the power of words. He was prime minister of Britain when Nazi domination of Europe appeared inevitable. France had fallen. The U.S. didn't show any willingness to enter the war. And morale...

Silicon Alley Still Not Paved With Gold But There's A New Optimism New York's tech industry is recovering from effects of 9-11 and dot-com bust.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Jason McCabe Calacanis says it reminds him of the old days. Ex-dot-commers are hanging out in New York bars talking about plans for starting nifty new companies. "Office rents are cheap, and there's a ton of...

TECHBITS.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: J. Bonasia You May Not Recognize The Net Analysts are predicting great things for the Internet during the coming years. But to some people, it may not be clear whether analysts are writing research reports or honing their...

Nokia Banking On New Phone Features Cameras, E-Mail Access Company made its name with its no-frills phones but now looks to expand.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Finnish cell phone maker Nokia Corp. is releasing new phones in the U.S. next year. Will that be enough to boost the company's market share here? Nokia once was noted for low-priced consumer phones, but its new...

Intuit Targets Products At Specific Types Of Businesses.(A)(Q AND A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Just over a year ago Intuit Corp. announced a new strategy for its QuickBooks line of business accounting software. Dubbed "right for my business," the strategy was designed to provide industry-focused products for...

DICK'S SPORTING GOODS INC. Pittsburgh, Pa. A Winning Game Plan Keys Retailer's Growth Service Also Is A Plus In the competitive world of sports retail, this firm carves out unique niche.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: AMY REEVES A name like Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. could hardly have been created by poll testing. So it's not surprising the company is named after a real person. Richard Stack's first store opened in upstate New York 54 years...

LEAPFROG ENTERPRISES INC. Emeryville, California Toy Maker Is Upbeat On Holiday Prospects.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE It's anybody's guess how much consumers will spend this holiday season, and that keeps toy company executives up at night. One who sounds at least a little optimistic is Tom Kalinske, chairman of educational toy...

Cambiar Tackles Growth And Value Uses Flexible Approach Fund seeks opportunity in bear or bull markets; Synopsys fits the bill.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF Add Cambiar Opportunity Fund to the elite list of S&P 500 killers: It's buried the bogey in each of the last four years. Only 57 U.S. diversified stock funds, or 1.9% of the total, have managed that feat. True,...

No Joke.(A)(EDITORIALS)
December 3, 2002... Economic Stimulus: The joke around Washington -- or is it Wall Street? -- is that we're going to get more tax relief "whether we need it or not." Which helps explain why the stimulus plans floated so far are so insipid. We suspect the...

Tax Bytes.(A)(EDITORIALS)
December 3, 2002... Taxes: The fiscal conditions of state governments are abysmal. No surprise, then, that lawmakers' covetous eyes are turning yet again to Internet sales. The states have been looking at Internet sales taxes as a free pot of gold for years....

U.S. Can Do More To Foster Democracy In Islamic World.(A)(NATIONAL ISSUE)
December 3, 2002... Byline: PETER BENESH This is not a trick question. What does America have in common with militant Islamic political parties? Answer: a belief in the power of the ballot box. Militant Muslims may deride U.S. democracy as the...

NYSE Stocks Finish Mixed; Medicals Sink.(B)
December 3, 2002... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The market finished mixed Monday in a wildly swinging session after the Thanksgiving holiday. The S&P 500 rose as much as 1.9% intraday, but closed down 0.2%. The Dow industrial average gave up 0.4%. But the S&P...

Kitchenware Chain Cooks Up Firm Growth.(B)
December 3, 2002... Byline: David Saito-Chung Williams-Sonoma broke out to 52-week highs in December last year and climbed about 68% to an all-time high of 33.50 in June this year. The stock is now forming what is so far a six-month base. The seller of...

Nasdaq Rally Fizzles, Stocks Slip To Small Gains.(B)
December 3, 2002... Byline: JONAH KERI Nasdaq stocks jumped as much as 2.9% Monday before reversing to eke out small gains for the day. The composite index rose 0.4%, as did the Nasdaq 100. Volume picked up vs. Friday's truncated post-holiday trading. ...

K-Swiss Breaks Out, Pulls Back Slightly.(B)
December 3, 2002... Byline: Jonah Keri K-Swiss burst out of its five-month base early Monday, climbing as high as 27.75. But the stock reversed somewhat, closing below its pivot point of 27.23, or 0.10 above the top of its handle. The maker of athletic...

Manufacturing Gauge Dashes Hope Economy Firing On All Cylinders; Purchasers Still See Decline; Order backlogs shrink for the fifth month in row as uncertainty still looms large.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE The strength that has surfaced in other parts of the economy in recent weeks doesn't seem to have found its way to the nation's manufacturing sector. The Institute of Supply Managers said Monday its Purchasing...

Techs Halt Their Lengthy Slide As Business Spending Picks Up; "Caution Is Advisable'.(A)
December 3, 2002... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON The long-awaited recovery in tech stocks may be under way. Indicators of industry health have improved in the last few months. IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other bellwethers beat third-quarter earnings...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
December 3, 2002... U.S. Manufacturing Still Stalled 1The ISM manufacturing index edged up to 49.2 in Nov. from 48.5 in Oct. But that was below forecasts of 51 and was the third straight month below the boom-bust 50 line. The new orders index dipped below 50,...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 3, 2002... DIVERSIFIED Tyco accounting report due soon Results of the internal probe could come as early as today, said a Credit Suisse First Boston analyst. David Boies, the famous Microsoft prosecutor and lawyer for Al Gore in 2000, is looking...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 3, 2002... LEISURE Yet another cruise ship outbreak U.S. health inspectors boarded the cruise ship Carnival Fascination to investigate the latest Norwalk-like virus outbreak to hit cruise ships that sickened 194 people during a weekend cruise...

Churchill At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 3, 2002... Churchill At A Glance Born: 1874 in Oxfordshire, England. Died: 1965 in London. Education: Graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant, 4th Hussars, in February 1895. Achievements:...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
December 3, 2002... Highfields Capital, a big Stilwell Financial holder, has raised its stake in the parent of Janus mutual funds and hired the Blackstone Group to scrutinize Stilwell's reorganization plan and look at options. GE Capital will sell $4 bil of...

He Built Victory From Principle; Power Of Words: Churchill used his eloquence to galvanize an embattled nation.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 3, 2002... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Winston Churchill knew the power of words. He was prime minister of Britain when Nazi domination of Europe appeared inevitable. France had fallen. The U.S. didn't show any willingness to enter the war. And morale...

Silicon Alley Still Not Paved With Gold; But There's A New Optimism; New York's tech industry is recovering from effects of 9-11 and dot-com bust.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 3, 2002... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Jason McCabe Calacanis says it reminds him of the old days. Ex-dot-commers are hanging out in New York bars talking about plans for starting nifty new companies. "Office rents are cheap, and there's a ton of...

Nokia Banking On New Phone Features; Cameras, E-Mail Access; Company made its name with its no-frills phones but now looks to expand.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 3, 2002... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Finnish cell phone maker Nokia Corp. is releasing new phones in the U.S. next year. Will that be enough to boost the company's market share here? Nokia once was noted for low-priced consumer phones, but its new...

DICK'S SPORTING GOODS INC. Pittsburgh, Pa.; A Winning Game Plan Keys Retailer's Growth; Service Also Is A Plus; In the competitive world of sports retail, this firm carves out unique niche.(THE NEW AMERICA)
December 3, 2002... Byline: AMY REEVES A name like Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. could hardly have been created by poll testing. So it's not surprising the company is named after a real person. Richard Stack's first store opened in upstate New York 54 years...

LEAPFROG ENTERPRISES INC. Emeryville, California; Toy Maker Is Upbeat On Holiday Prospects.(THE NEW AMERICA)
December 3, 2002... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE It's anybody's guess how much consumers will spend this holiday season, and that keeps toy company executives up at night. One who sounds at least a little optimistic is Tom Kalinske, chairman of educational toy...

KEY FUND HOLDINGS.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
December 3, 2002... Key Fund Holdings / General Growth Properties and Simon Property Group were top holdings of First American Real Estate Securities Fund as of the latest reporting date. General Growth's funds from operations rose 8% and 15% the past two...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)
December 3, 2002... Taking The Risky Path Regarding "Give Up The Ghost" (Editorial, Nov. 25), you correctly imply the Canadian health care system is marginal at best and barely surviving economically. Canadians have seen a demise from the days when their...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE NYSE Stocks Finish Mixed; Medicals Sink.(MAKING MONEY)
December 3, 2002... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The market finished mixed Monday in a wildly swinging session after the Thanksgiving holiday. The S&P 500 rose as much as 1.9% intraday, but closed down 0.2%. The Dow industrial average gave up 0.4%. But the S&P...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Rally Fizzles, Stocks Slip To Small Gains.(B)
December 3, 2002... Byline: JONAH KERI Nasdaq stocks jumped as much as 2.9% Monday before reversing to eke out small gains for the day. The composite index rose 0.4%, as did the Nasdaq 100. Volume picked up vs. Friday's truncated post-holiday trading. ...

Review Past Successes, Failures.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
December 4, 2002... Byline: JONAH KERI As you gain confidence in your investing, you'll soon learn not to fear making mistakes. Mistimed a buy and paid for it dearly? No problem, just cut your losses at 7% to 8% the next time and you won't take a big hit....