Investor's Business Daily articles from December 2005

Investor's Business Daily archives from December 2005

N.Y. Times Attempts To Scale "Pay Wall' For Online Content; 135,000 Op-Ed Subscribers; Amid a print ad squeeze, papers seek right formula to sell information on Net.(A)
December 1, 2005... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Some readers were miffed. Others said the online subscriptions would never fly. But two months after The New York Times launched TimesSelect, a for-pay service based on the paper's Op-Ed columnists, numbers of...

Asbestos Bill Will Have Its Day, But Chances Of Passing Are Slim; Specter's liability deal faces opposition from both sides of the aisle.(A)
December 1, 2005... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS After more than two years of wrangling, the Senate is set to vote next month on a major $140 billion bill to resolve the asbestos litigation crisis. But insiders say the bill's chances are iffy at best. Senate...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
December 1, 2005... Bush Defends His Iraq Strategy 1President Bush said Iraq is taking a greater role in policing cities and fighting terrorists but a firm U.S. exit plan may undermine the war. He said both progress and military leaders must drive an Iraq...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... CITI TRENDS' same-store sales rose 26% in Nov. while total sales for the month jumped 43.4% to $24.7 mil. The clothing retailer said Nov. sales benefited from increased traffic after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Shares rose. PW...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... BUILDING Standard Pacific to build more The California home builder expects to grow earnings by 15% in '06 by increasing unit volume to make up for lower home prices. Chief Financial Officer Andrew Parnes told analysts it will be...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... INTERNET/TECH Apple target upped on new laptop Citigroup raised its target for the computer maker by $20 to $71 a share, citing strong video iPod sales and an expected Jan. launch of its first laptop using Intel chips. The analyst also...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... TELECOM TDC inclined to $12 bil takeover Denmark's No. 1 telecom operator's board is recommending that shareholders accept the bid. A private equity group including Apax Partners, Permira Advisors, Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... MEDICAL Easy HIV test launched in Mexico OraSure Tech said its OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody test will be distributed to Mexico's National Health Sector and National Council for HIV/AIDS, as well as state HIV programs,...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... Mortgage apps fall for 3rd week The Mortgage Bankers Association said the weekly applications index fell 1.8% to 624.1 in the week ended Nov. 25 from 635.4 the prior week. Rates for 30-year mortgages averaged 6.20% vs. 6.26% the week before...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... Napco Security Systems surged 8% to 16.05 after the electronic security equipment company announced a 3-for-2 stock split scheduled for Dec. 28. Matsushita Electric Industrial, one of the world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers,...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... Alito opposed abortion in 1985 As a Reagan administration lawyer, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito called for a policy of "mitigating" the effects of the Roe v. Wade decision by trying to persuade justices to accept state regulations on...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... Germany waiting for Iran signal New Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his country, France and Britain will resume nuclear talks with Iran only if it signals it wants to dispel world fears about its nuclear plans. Steinmeier...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... First face transplant completed A French woman disfigured by a dog bite got a new nose, chin and lips in the world's first surgical procedure to successfully transplant a face. Transplant operations around the mouth and nose are considered...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
December 1, 2005... ** Professional artists and poets have nearly twice as many sexual partners as the average person, British researchers found. Psychologists at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that creative professionals had 4 to 10 sexual partners,...

Retailer Hooked Customers By Fishing For Opinions; Listen To Customers: Orvis' Leigh Perkins found out what people really wanted and made sure he gave them exactly that.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 1, 2005... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Leigh Perkins was dying as a salesman. It was his first sales job at Harris Calorific, a Cleveland manufacturer of welding and cutting equipment. He'd started in 1955 on the manufacturing floor, and in about a...

DEAL EFECTIVELY WITH PEOPLE It's What Gets 'Em Going.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Cord Cooper 9 Virtually all managers have a common goal: Motivate their teams more effectively. So forget crisis mode. To light fires instead of putting them out: ** Pinpoint workers' interests. Then align them to your...

Painter Pierre Auguste Renoir; Making His Mark: His dedication, innovation made an impression on art world.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 1, 2005... Byline: J. BONASIA There were repeated setbacks. Public indifference. Critical laughter. Yet Pierre Auguste Renoir never gave up on himself. Renoir (1841-1919) toiled in poverty for 30 years before achieving a degree of critical and...

Trendy Phone Shoppers Embrace Cellular Bling; Encrusting With Jewels; Inspired by celebrities, consumers look to add personality to devices.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 1, 2005... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Got cell phone games? Check. Ring tones? Dozens. Cellular screen savers? Enough for several phones. So what's left for the cell phone fashionista looking to primp their phone? Cellular bling of course. We'll always...

Blu-ray DVD Backers See Room To Grow; Tout Format's Features; Technology's supporters see extra capacity as an edge over rival HD DVD.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 1, 2005... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Backers of a next-generation DVD format called Blu-ray showed off the versatility of their format for the first time this week. Blu-ray supporters, looking to stave off a rival DVD standard, put on a glitzy...

Yahoo Aims To Deliver Latest News To Users' E-Mail Boxes; Adds Feeds To Its Mail Service; In game of one-upmanship with Google and Microsoft, company looks for an edge.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 1, 2005... Byline: PETE BARLAS Yahoo is hoping to lure more consumers to its e-mail service with a little news. The Web's No. 1 portal Tuesday began testing a free service that lets users get automated news feeds in their e-mail folders. ...

In Setback To RIM, Judge Rules That Its Patent Dispute Settlement Is No Longer Valid.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 1, 2005... Byline: MIKE ANGELL A federal judge Wednesday refused to enforce a $450 million settlement reached by Research In Motion in March over a patent dispute, casting a pall on the company's future. The decision sends the maker of the...

FRANKLIN RESOURCES San Mateo, California; Fund Manager Figures The Smart Money Is In International Markets.(THE NEW AMERICA)
December 1, 2005... Byline: MARILYN MUCH With Eastern Europe becoming a more appealing region to sell U.S. mutual funds, Franklin Resources looks to cash in. The investment management company is best known for its Franklin Templeton family of mutual...

Touchstone To Purchase Constellation; Formats Are Similar; Both find subadvisers to run their portfolios; will combo cut costs?(MUTUAL FUNDS)(FUND INDUSTRY TRENDS)
December 1, 2005... Byline: KEN HOOVER Touchstone Investments, with $4 billion in assets, announced it's acquiring the 18-month-old Constellation family of funds, adding $2.8 billion to the Cincinnati company's asset base. The two fund families operate...

Telling It Straight.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... Prosperity: This is shaping up to be one of the most re- markable periods in U.S. economic history. Yet, to read the papers, you'd think we were in the midst of a bust. We've written about this a lot lately, if for no other reason than the...

A New Season In Michigan?(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... Automobiles: For more than 30 years, Detroit, once a fountainhead of ingenuity, blundered through a tedious wasteland of poor car design. By no coincidence, auto industry profits suffered as well. Uninspired design, of course, isn't the...

Required Reading.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 1, 2005... Iraq: Yes, Senator, there is a strategy for victory. It's on the Web for you and every other American to see. Feel free to debate it, but don't deny its existence. Harry Reid officially leads the Senate's Democrats and, in that role, can...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Retailers Weak As NYSE Stocks Close At Lows.(MAKING MONEY)
December 1, 2005... Byline: JUAN CARLOS ARANCIBIA NYSE stocks weakened Wednesday as the S&P 500 and NYSE composite closed at their session lows. Volume was higher. Retailers were broadly lower. GameStop fell 1.35 to 33.64 while dropping below its...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
December 1, 2005... Analyzing the price and volume changes in the major market averages each day is essential to successful investing. They reveal major tops and bottoms in the stock market. Most stocks follow the general market's trend. They tend to rise...

Leading Large-Cap Stocks Can Pay Off With Handsome Returns.(B)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
December 1, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI For some growth investors, large-cap stocks may seem dull. You might picture monolith stocks such as General Motors and General Electric, their stocks moving at a snail's pace while their fundamental growth lags. ...

India's Tata Rolls Out 300-HP Heavy Trucks.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
December 1, 2005... Byline: David Saito-Chung Tata Motors debuted its American Depositary Receipts on Sept. 27 last year. The stock has shown resistance at 13 in recent months. Tata is India's largest maker of trucks, buses and cars. Sales growth has...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Nasdaq Stocks Barely Budge In Higher Volume.(B)
December 1, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI Nasdaq stocks started modestly higher Wednesday, then pulled back to finish the day virtually unchanged. The composite ended even, while the Nasdaq 100 eased 0.3%. Nasdaq volume closed higher and above its 50-day...

Intergraph Trading In Tight Recent Range.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
December 1, 2005... Byline: Jonah Keri Intergraph broke out of a 15-week cup-without-handle base in late May. The stock has since surged 56% from its buy point of 30.80. It's spent the last five weeks trading in an extremely tight range and may be forming a...

Divine Market's Trend From Indexes' Action.(THE SMART INVESTOR)(INVESTOR'S.COM CORNER)
December 1, 2005... Byline: KEN SHREVE Investors are sure to hear more in coming days and weeks about the stock market outlook for 2006. Some will point to a strong economy and healthy corporate profits as reasons to be bullish. Others will argue that...

Growth, Price Data Lift Hopes The Fed Will End Hikes Soon; Stocks Jump, But Bonds Dip; Inflation in comfort zone; factories remain strong, shoppers slow somewhat.(A)
December 2, 2005... Byline: LAURA MANDARO The U.S. economy got a little trim, and investors loved the new look. Growth eased slightly while inflation pulled back into the Fed's comfort zone, according to a slew of reports out Thursday. Economists...

Nov. Retail Sales Fail To Meet Forecasts As Wal-Mart Price Cuts Divert Shoppers; Apparel Chains Hit Or Miss; Discounters, dept. stores and luxury retailers miss; Dec. is all about bargains.(A)
December 2, 2005... Byline: LISA SCHMEISER If November sales are any indication, not a lot of people did their holiday shopping early. Even with heavy discounts, retailers' same-store sales rose 3.7% in November vs. a year earlier, below Retail Metrics'...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
December 2, 2005... Nasdaq Spearheads Broad Gains 1The tech-heavy composite jumped 1.5% to a 4 1/2-year closing high on rising and above-average volume. The Philly Sox surged 4.2%, its best day in 10 months. The S&P 500 rose 1.2%. The small-cap S&P 600 rose...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... CERADYNE will have 2 separate public offerings. The maker of industrial materials will sell 1.8 mil shares and also $100 mil of its senior convertible notes due in 2035. Shares fell. OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES' Q2 earnings rose 27% to 41 cents...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... TRANSPORTATION Boeing lands Hong Kong order Cathay Pacific Airways will buy or lease up to 36 Boeing aircraft, a key win for the U.S. plane maker over rival Airbus. The airline said it would buy 12 long-range Boeing 777-300ERs, with a...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... TECHNOLOGY Broadcom sees surging demand Broadcom's CEO said world demand for digital devices will mean more buyers of its chips, used in portable video players. As multimedia reach cell phones, these markets will take off, he said,...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... FINANCIAL Volume up on futures exchanges The Chicago Mercantile Exchange notched 4.1 mil contracts a day in Nov., 27% more than Nov. '04. Of that, Globex, its electronic trading market, saw trades rise 32% to 2.9 mil contracts a day,...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... MEDICAL Pediatrix Medical raises outlook The contract provider for neonatal intensive care units forecast '06 EPS of $5.35-$5.45 ex items vs. views of $5.22. The forecast assumes a 3%-5% rise in same-unit revenue growth at its neonatal...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... Jobless claims at pre-storm level New filings for unemployment benefits fell 17,000 to 320,000 in the week ended Nov. 26. That was near Wall St. forecasts and showed the labor market has returned to stable hiring levels. The 4-week average...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... ENERGY Oil firms partner with Venezuela BP and Royal Dutch Shell agreed to new joint ventures with the Caracas government that will allow them to work as independent drillers. Venezuela is forcing companies with at least 32 oil fields...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... Democrat urges energy inquiry Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called on the Justice Department to investigate if major oil company executives lied to Congress when they testified that their firms did not participate in a 2001...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... Bush vows to bolster AIDS fight Marking World AIDS Day, President Bush affirmed America's commitment to fight the deadly disease around the world. "This pandemic threatens the stability and the future of whole societies," Bush said. AIDS...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... Food additive reduces cattle gas A chemical needed for living tissues' respiration, fumaric acid, may cut the gaseous byproducts of the bovine digestive system by as much as 70%. British researchers added fumaric acid to cattle feed, and...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
December 2, 2005... ** Caffeine stimulates areas of the brain governing short-term memory and attention, Austrian researchers found. After test subjects consumed the caffeine equivalent of 2 cups of coffee, specific brain areas measured increased activity, and...

The Father Of Basketball Had A High-Scoring Drive; Make Big Points: James Naismith aimed to teach his students about character and developing healthy minds and bodies.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN James Naismith loved sports. But his passion for football drew harsh words from friends and teachers. Late in the 19th century, the sport that's now America's favorite pastime was brutal. Helmets and shoulder...

BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE Truth Shall Set You Free.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: Steve Watkins 10 Mark Belnick stared down a possible decades-long sentence in the New York state prison system and won. His trust in the truth carried him through. Belnick had worked for 28 years at New York City law firm Paul,...

Discovery Gave Him A Charge; Battery Powered: Alessandro Volta's drive for knowledge made our lives easier.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: NANCY GONDO Plenty of people thought Alessandro Volta was an idiot. The youngest of seven children born to a family of minor nobility in Como, Italy, Volta hadn't learned to talk by the time he was 4. In fact, he spoke rarely...

Congress May Examine FCC's Role In Auctioning Off Wireless Spectrum; GOA Raises Questions; Should future auctions try to maximize revenue or foster competition?(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Congress might get more involved in setting rules for auctioning off radio spectrum, a process that has been in the hands of the Federal Communications Commission. In 1993, Congress authorized the FCC to award...

In Sizing Up 2006, Analysts See Push Toward Net Services; Confronting Tech Disruptions; Companies expected to depend more on outside innovation in coming year.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2005... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Look for 2006 to be a year of dynamic change in technology, fueled mainly by broadband communications and Internet advancements. That's according to International Data Corp., which presented its annual list of...

With New Network, Verizon And Qualcomm Look To Bring Live TV To Phones; MediaFlo To Debut In Late '06; Companies hoping to get more revenue from users with high-quality TV service.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Verizon Wireless says it will offer live broadcast TV and other video services via a new wireless network that Qualcomm plans to build. Verizon and Qualcomm look to make it easier for cell phone users to watch...

European Union Expecting A Rush For Domain Name.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
December 2, 2005... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The European Union expects a surge of applications next week when its ".eu" regional domain name opens for registration. "I expect a real rush, several hundred thousand in the first few days," EU...

Metals And Mining Gear Stocks Continue To Shine.(YOUR WEEKLY REVIEW)
December 2, 2005... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG This may be remembered as the Year of Heavy Metal -- heavy gains by metal commodities, that is. On Thursday, gold futures roared up 7.60 to $506.30 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It hasn't hit this level...

"Infill' Project Builds Anaheim Up, Not Out; Condo Towers Hit Suburbia; High rises are popping up in family neighborhoods that are running out of land.(INSIDE REAL ESTATE)
December 2, 2005... Byline: LAURA MANDARO Orange County, the poster child for well-landscaped, centerless American suburbia, is about to get a makeover: skyscrapers. And if Anaheim city planners have their way, their community will finally gain a...

RADVISION LTD. Tel Aviv, Israel; Latest Contract Moves Tech Firm Into A Higher Income Bracket.(THE NEW AMERICA)
December 2, 2005... Byline: MARILYN ALVA In the multibillion dollar defense industry, $8 million barely adds up to pocket change. Still, it's a lot of money for a smallish company like Radvision. The Israeli firm's technology allows field soldiers and...

Funds See More Hot Spots In Energy; Focus On Field Services; Despite oil price decline, further big profit growth expected at Halliburton.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(INVESTMENT TRENDS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Signs are emerging that oil and gas prices have peaked. But does that mean the nearly two-year run in energy stocks is ending? Several managers have reason to believe that stocks in several energy segments will...

Deaf Row.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 2, 2005... National Security: While Scooter Libby may get prison for "leaking" the name of CIA desk jockey Valerie Plame, The Washington Post may get a Pulitzer Prize for putting real CIA operatives overseas in real danger. One man's leaker is...

The EU's Global-Warming Fantasy.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 2, 2005... The Environment: In a last-ditch attempt at reviving the moribund Kyoto Accords, the European Union has vowed to cut its emission of greenhouse gases beyond what's called for by 2010. But don't count on it. The meeting that began this week...

Tainted Probe.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 2, 2005... Money And Power: Democrats think the investigation of Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist for Indian tribes, will expose Republicans as corrupt and help Democrats gain congressional seats. They'd better think again. Turns out that in 2002 Sen. Byron...

The Wizards Of "Is'.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
December 2, 2005... Politics: Sen. Hillary Clinton now says that if she knew then what she knows now she wouldn't have voted to liberate Iraq while reminding constituents and contributors that she was for the war before she was against it. Echoing her...

Bush's "Clear Strategy For Victory'.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(VERBATIM)
December 2, 2005... In a speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy, President Bush defended his strategy for achieving success in Iraq. Following is the text of about half the speech, excluding introductory comments. The rest of the speech will be in Monday's...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Stocks Recoup Week's Losses; NYSE Techs Up.(MAKING MONEY)
December 2, 2005... Byline: MARIE BEERENS NYSE stocks posted a strong rally Thursday, recouping earlier sessions' losses. The S&P 500 rose 1.2%. The small-cap S&P 600 surged 1.8%, and the mid-cap S&P 400 1.6% - making all-time highs. Lamson & Sessions...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
December 2, 2005... Analyzing the price and volume changes in the major market averages each day is essential to successful investing. They reveal major tops and bottoms in the stock market. Most stocks follow the general market's trend. They tend to rise...

Headwaters Thrives In Building Markets.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: David Saito-Chung Headwaters corrected 34% in just three months after hitting a high of 45.75 on July 28. The stock recently hopped back above its 200-day and 50-day moving average lines. But its Accumulation/Distribution Rating is...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Broad Rally Gives Nasdaq 52-Week Closing High.(B)
December 2, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI A broad-based rally propelled the Nasdaq to a 52-week closing high Thursday. The composite rose 1.5%, the Nasdaq 100 1.9%. Volume swelled, marking a day of accumulation by investors. Chip stocks soared, as the...

Success Is Good For Confidence, But May Cloud Your Judgment.(B)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
December 2, 2005... Byline: JUAN CARLOS ARANCIBIA Failing in the stock market often causes dejected investors to withdraw and forfeit new opportunities, even in a powerful rally. But success can sometimes be just as damaging -- if you let it get to your head....

VistaPrint Pulls Back After Successful IPO.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: Jonah Keri VistaPrint Limited went public at $12 a share on Sept. 30, closing with a gaudy 27% gain that day. The stock hit a high of 19.74 on Nov. 16 and has pulled back in the last two weeks. Wait to see if a well-formed base...

IN BRIEF.(FUTURES & BONDS)
December 2, 2005... Byline: Compiled from Reuters Spreads on Brazil debt tighten Risk spreads on Brazil's sovereign debt tightened on Thursday to their narrowest ever as investors anticipated a year-end rally in Brazil bonds, encouraged by a possible...

Job Growth Returns To A Healthy Pace Of 215,000 In Nov.; Wages' Yearly Gain Is 3.2%; Broad employment gains latest proof of strength; pay hikes are up, still mild.(A)
December 5, 2005... Byline: LAURA MANDARO Hiring rebounded to pre-hurricane levels while wages rose at their fastest pace in over two years, adding to the picture of an economy growing strong and not setting off inflation alarms. Companies added 215,000...

MARKET TOOL BAR.(A)
December 5, 2005... S&P 500 INDEX 1265.08 +0.41 (0.0%) Weekly win streak breaks, but 600 rises DOW JONES IND. 10,877.51 -35.06 (-0.3%) Still resistance near 11,000, up 1% YTD NYSE VOL. (MIL) 1,631 -277...

Software Shift To Subscriptions, Services Helps To Deter Piracy; No software on the PC and frequent updates make it harder to steal.(A)
December 5, 2005... Byline: DONNA HOWELL It often used to be that when a person bought some software he simply got a bunch of disks to keep. They were easy to copy. But trends such as selling software by subscription with frequent updates and selling...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
December 5, 2005... Job Growth Is Back On Track 1Employers hired 215,000 workers in Nov., in line with forecasts. It's the latest in a series of reports showing the economy weathered the Gulf Coast hurricanes well. Hourly wages rose 0.2% after Oct.'s 0.6%...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... DISNEY raised its annual dividend 12.5% to 27 cents, payable Jan. 6. Former P&G CEO John Pepper and ex-Starbucks CEO Orrin Smith were named to the board. Chairman George Mitchell will stay on until Dec. '06. TIMKIN will get $81 mil from...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... MEDIA Cable companies raising prices The biggest deliverer, Comcast, announced a 6% hike for its most popular cable package. Time Warner is upping its prices 1.9%-3.1%. Cablevision Systems will increase its rates by 2.3%. Cable rates...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... REAL ESTATE Icahn's next play: Fairmont bid The tycoon investor, who's currently involved in a high-profile dispute with Time Warner's board, said he plans to acquire 51% of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for $1.19 bil. If he can obtain...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... TRANSPORTATION Ford seen shuttering 5 facilities The No. 2 automaker will probably close 5 North American plants employing 7,500 workers as part of a restructuring plan being announced next month, according to a published report. The...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... RETAIL Albertsons buyout bid looming Three groups will wrap up preparations for their bids this weekend to buy Albertsons, the nation's No. 2 supermarket chain, says a report in The Financial Times. The long-struggling grocer, which...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... Nov. inflation pressures decline The Economic Cycle Research Institute's future inflation gauge fell for the first time in 6 months, dropping 2.7 points last month to 121.6. The index's annualized growth rate, which smooths out monthly...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... IN BRIEF Sonoco Products, a maker of industrial packaging products, forecast '06 earnings that beat views, and said it plans a 2 mil-2.5 mil share buyback in the next quarter. Shares rose 3% to 30.11. Alcatel, a telecom equipment...

NATION/WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... New Orleans vote delay mulled Louisiana Sec'y of State Al Ater wants mayoral and city council elections, set for Feb. 4, delayed for 8 months. He cited damage and dislocation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Ater said he needs time to ensure...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... Alcohol's health perks overrated? Drinking 1-2 glasses of wine daily may not be as beneficial to one's health as previous studies suggested, reported the Lancet. Earlier studies had shown that a drink or two daily cut the risk of heart...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
December 5, 2005... ** Americans' odds of surviving heart attacks may depend on where they live. Heart attack patients were more likely to die in hospitals in California, Maryland, New York and South Carolina, while survival rates were higher in Arizona,...