Investor's Business Daily articles from February 2003

Investor's Business Daily archives from February 2003

How To Track Market Internals.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
February 28, 2003... Byline: CRAIG SHAW As investors have learned the hard way the last three years, you can't buy just the right stock. You have to buy it at the right time. IBD gives you proprietary ratings to help you pick leading stocks. No less...

Iraq Says It'll Destroy Its Al Samoud Missiles; U.N. Division Deepens Blix Sees Limited Disarming But the French hold fast to view that inspections, not war, can do the trick.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: FROM IBD NEWS SERVICES Iraq agreed "in principle" Thursday to destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles, as the chief U.N. weapons inspector had ordered, U.N. officials and diplomats told The Associated Press. The news came after a...

January Durable Orders Expand Broadly, But Job Claims, New Homes Stir Worry Initial Claims At 2-Mo. High 15% drop in home sales partly driven by weather; more volatility is expected.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE Data out Thursday underscored the rocky nature of the recovery. Though January durable goods orders advanced broadly, new-home sales plunged and unemployment claims swelled. Orders to factories for big-ticket...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(A)(AFTER THE CLOSE)
February 28, 2003... GAP met raised Q4 views of 27 cents. It lost 4 cents a year ago. The clothing chain's same-store sales rose 8%. Feb. sales were weak due to snowstorms and falling consumer confidence. RAYTHEON will pay $25 mil to end federal civil charges...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
February 28, 2003... MARKETS M&A activity slowest since 1991 So far in the U.S. this year, 801 M&A deals have been announced, down 24% from the same span in '02, and 56% from the peak in early '00, said Thomson Financial. War fears, low stock prices and...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
February 28, 2003... TELECOM Lucent, SEC settle probe of books The telecom gear maker won't pay any penalties or make further financial restatements. That follows a two-year SEC probe that began after Lucent in Nov. and Dec. '00 said it discovered $679...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
February 28, 2003... FINANCE CSFB e-mail messages revealed Dec. 3 e-mails show ex-Credit Suisse First Boston attorney David Brodsky alerted banker Frank Quattrone that federal regulators were probing the firm's handling of IPOs, published reports said....

THE ECONOMY.(A)
February 28, 2003... Bush tax plan architect resigns Glenn Hubbard, head of the Council of Economic Advisers and a leading advocate for ending double taxation of dividends, will quit. Harvard economics professor Gregory Mankiw will replace him. Hubbard, the...

NATION.(A)
February 28, 2003... NASA chief defends procedures Sean O'Keefe vigorously defended the agency's handling of the internal debate about the safety of Columbia in the days before it broke up. He said concerns of some senior engineers about risks of serious...

WORLD.(A)
February 28, 2003... Chirac's policy worries his party Lawmakers in President Jacques Chirac's party voice growing concern over the damage France's anti-war stance has had on relations with the U.S. and the future of the U.N. Herve de Charette, an ex-foreign...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(A)
February 28, 2003... Prescription drug ads don't hurt A study on the Web site Health Affairs didn't ponder if drug ads, OK'd in '97, improved the health of viewers. But 86% of those polled remembered seeing such an ad. Of those, 35% asked their doctor. A...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(A)
February 28, 2003... ** Bell/Agusta Aerospace will soon launch a hybrid airplane/helicopter aimed at civilian flights. The Texas firm thinks it'll get an FAA OK, despite deadly crashes from a military hybrid, the V-22 Osprey. ** A gum-disease vaccine shows...

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY Build A Great Reputation.(A)(IBD 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
February 28, 2003... Byline: Robin Grugal 10Great reputations don't come by accident, nor are they the result of simple charisma or celebrity. So what should a chief executive be most focused on to build equity in his or her name? Burson-Marsteller,...

Young Author Had Right Stuff Power Of Words: Persistence vaulted Richard Wright to international acclaim.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER It was all in the words for Richard Wright. And the words, he believed, would set him free. An African-American, Wright (1908-1960) grew up in the South in the early 20th century, a time when being born black...

Cisco's Ads Going Mainstream Consumer-Focused Campaign Similar to IBM, HP efforts, techie company targets the non-techie executive.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Big ad campaigns seared Kleenex, Ford and Coke into the American mind. Will the same work for computer networking? Cisco Systems Inc. thinks so. The leading maker of networking gear is spending up to $150 million...

Gray Market Colors Tech Fields Losing $5B/Year Profit KPMG surveys growth of tech goods sold via "unauthorized' channels.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL KREY Most business people are honest. A few are crooks. Then there's a middle group. They aren't quite crooks, but they aren't quite honest. It's a gray area, and many tech goods travel through this quasi-legit world....

Planning Your Retirement? Your Employer Just Might Want To Help.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL KREY It's the next stage in the evolution of 401(k) retirement plans. More companies are offering their workers third-party retirement planning services that go beyond general guidance to cover specific advice. It's...

Brokerage Web Sites Are Touting Advisory Services For Clients Getting Advice At No Charge Few customers are active traders now, so brokerages are adding more features.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Designing a financial plan online is getting easier. As a result, some financially smart software is finding a loyal following. This new wave of software services found on investment Web sites can automatically...

ZOLL MEDICAL CORP. Burlington, Massachusetts This Medical Supplier Gets "Seal Of Approval'.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: GLORIA LAU Sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 450,000 Americans a year, but most of them don't have to die. The condition can be reversed in most victims if it's treated quickly with defibrillation, an electric shock to...

GARMIN LTD. George Town, Cayman Islands Tech Firm Maps Out A Winning Growth Plan.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: ADELIA CELLINI LINECKER If you're a business traveler, you know how convenient it is to have a city map at your fingertips. So the next time you zap a map onto your handheld, thank Garmin Ltd. The company makes digital...

Stock Funds Saw $466 Mil Leave In Jan. Less Than Dec. Outflow But it's one of weakest Januaries ever, while bond funds saw inflow.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: DAN MOREAU Pounded by a stock market in decline, investors pulled $466 million out of stock funds in January, the first outflow for a January since 1990, the Investment Company Institute said. January is often one of the...

The Bush Plan.(A)(EDITORIALS)
February 28, 2003... Mideast: President Bush outlined a sweeping vision Tuesday night that will guide America's actions in the Mideast and the world well into this century and beyond. To all the questions, sincere and otherwise, of "why are we going to...

Rather's Frequency.(A)(EDITORIALS)
February 28, 2003... Media: Dan Rather's Saddam Hussein interview might have stirred jealousy among his elitist media colleagues. But he didn't do much to impress real folks. The whole thing strikes us as journalist-turned-celebrity grandstanding. The CBS...

Greenspan Warns Congress: Fix Social Security, Medicare.(A)(NATIONAL ISSUE)
February 28, 2003... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS The sooner Social Security and Medicare are reformed, the better, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told a Senate panel Thursday. Any delay would only make "abrupt and painful" changes necessary later on....

Stocks Advance On Lowered Terror Alert.(B)
February 28, 2003... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The Dow industrial average picked up almost 1% Thursday, recovering most of Wednesday's losses. The S&P 500 rebounded nearly 1.2%. Stryker rose 1.41 to 65.17, climbing back above its 50-day moving average...

Market Reclaims Some Early Gains In Mixed Volume.(B)
February 28, 2003... Byline: CHRIS GESSEL Stocks salvaged a good chunk of their morning rally Thursday. But the market failed to deliver the kind of powerful advance that would bode well for investors. The market got some mixed economic messages. Durable...

Hi-Fi Products Maker Singing Strong Profit.(B)
February 28, 2003... Byline: David Saito-Chung Harman International Industries rallied out of a sloppy cup-with-handle base on Halloween last year, a few weeks after the market's follow-through. The stock rose 18%, but reversed hard Dec. 2 after hitting the...

Nasdaq Starts Strong, Recedes, Closes Strong.(B)
February 28, 2003... Byline: JONAH KERI The market started with big gains, retreated, then closed strongly Thursday. The Nasdaq finished up 1.6%, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 2.1%. Volume inched up slightly. PPD Inc. (formerly Pharmaceutical Product...

Monro, Netflix Inch Toward Their Highs.(B)
February 28, 2003... Byline: Jonah Keri Monro Muffler Brake has formed an eight-month base. The stock has formed a series of bases since 1999, which could put this latest late-stage pattern at increased risk of failure. Monro sits 9% off its high. The...

Iraq Says It'll Destroy Its Al Samoud Missiles; U.N. Division Deepens; Blix Sees Limited Disarming; But the French hold fast to view that inspections, not war, can do the trick.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: FROM IBD NEWS SERVICES Iraq agreed "in principle" Thursday to destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles, as the chief U.N. weapons inspector had ordered, U.N. officials and diplomats told The Associated Press. The news came after a...

January Durable Orders Expand Broadly, But Job Claims, New Homes Stir Worry; Initial Claims At 2-Mo. High; 15% drop in home sales partly driven by weather; more volatility is expected.(A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE Data out Thursday underscored the rocky nature of the recovery. Though January durable goods orders advanced broadly, new-home sales plunged and unemployment claims swelled. Orders to factories for big-ticket...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
February 28, 2003... Iraq Agrees To Destroy Missiles 1The word came late Thursday. A U.N. session on Iraq ended with members unable to agree even on basic issues such as a reporting timetable for arms inspectors. A diplomat called the atmosphere as "bitter and...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... GAP met raised Q4 views of 27 cents. It lost 4 cents a year ago. The clothing chain's same-store sales rose 8%. Feb. sales were weak due to snowstorms and falling consumer confidence. RAYTHEON will pay $25 mil to end federal civil charges...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... TECHNOLOGY Marriott, Intel push wireless Web The hotel operator and chip giant will jointly create high-speed Wi-Fi zones in the lobbies and meeting rooms of 400 Marriott properties, including Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard and...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... MARKETS M&A activity slowest since 1991 So far in the U.S. this year, 801 M&A deals have been announced, down 24% from the same span in '02, and 56% from the peak in early '00, said Thomson Financial. War fears, low stock prices and...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... TELECOM Lucent, SEC settle probe of books The telecom gear maker won't pay any penalties or make further financial restatements. That follows a two-year SEC probe that began after Lucent in Nov. and Dec. '00 said it discovered $679 mil...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... FINANCE CSFB e-mail messages revealed Dec. 3 e-mails show ex-Credit Suisse First Boston attorney David Brodsky alerted banker Frank Quattrone that federal regulators were probing the firm's handling of IPOs, published reports said....

Wright At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 28, 2003... Wright At A Glance Born: 1908 on a plantation 20 miles outside Natchez, Miss. Died: 1960 in Paris. Education: Completed the equivalent of middle or junior high school in 1925. Achievements: ** Considered the most...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... Elan said it was subpoenaed in late '02 as the FTC probes whether the Irish drug firm improperly blocked generics to its Naprelan painkiller. Bankruptcy judge Arthur Gonzalez won't let Enron's holders sue the energy firm, citing...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2003... ** Bell/Agusta Aerospace will soon launch a hybrid airplane/helicopter aimed at civilian flights. The Texas firm thinks it'll get an FAA OK, despite deadly crashes from a military hybrid, the V-22 Osprey. ** A gum-disease vaccine shows...

Young Author Had Right Stuff; Power Of Words: Persistence vaulted Richard Wright to international acclaim.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 28, 2003... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER It was all in the words for Richard Wright. And the words, he believed, would set him free. An African-American, Wright (1908-1960) grew up in the South in the early 20th century, a time when being born black...

Cisco's Ads Going Mainstream; Consumer-Focused Campaign; Similar to IBM, HP efforts, techie company targets the non-techie executive.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Big ad campaigns seared Kleenex, Ford and Coke into the American mind. Will the same work for computer networking? Cisco Systems Inc. thinks so. The leading maker of networking gear is spending up to $150 million...

Gray Market Colors Tech Fields; Losing $5B/Year Profit; KPMG surveys growth of tech goods sold via "unauthorized' channels.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL KREY Most business people are honest. A few are crooks. Then there's a middle group. They aren't quite crooks, but they aren't quite honest. It's a gray area, and many tech goods travel through this quasi-legit world....

TECHBITS.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2003... Byline: Brian Deagon Can You Hear Me Now? It's lower tech than high tech, but it can literally blow the doors off the competition. We're talking about car stereo gear -- amplifiers and subwoofers -- but new methods of building...

Brokerage Web Sites Are Touting Advisory Services For Clients; Getting Advice At No Charge; Few customers are active traders now, so brokerages are adding more features.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2003... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Designing a financial plan online is getting easier. As a result, some financially smart software is finding a loyal following. This new wave of software services found on investment Web sites can automatically...

ZOLL MEDICAL CORP. Burlington, Massachusetts; This Medical Supplier Gets "Seal Of Approval'.(THE NEW AMERICA)
February 28, 2003... Byline: GLORIA LAU Sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 450,000 Americans a year, but most of them don't have to die. The condition can be reversed in most victims if it's treated quickly with defibrillation, an electric shock to the...

GARMIN LTD. George Town, Cayman Islands; Tech Firm Maps Out A Winning Growth Plan.(THE NEW AMERICA)
February 28, 2003... Byline: ADELIA CELLINI LINECKER If you're a business traveler, you know how convenient it is to have a city map at your fingertips. So the next time you zap a map onto your handheld, thank Garmin Ltd. The company makes digital...

Stock Funds Saw $466 Mil Leave In Jan.; Less Than Dec. Outflow; But it's one of weakest Januaries ever, while bond funds saw inflow.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
February 28, 2003... Byline: DAN MOREAU Pounded by a stock market in decline, investors pulled $466 million out of stock funds in January, the first outflow for a January since 1990, the Investment Company Institute said. January is often one of the...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)
February 28, 2003... Leave It To Engineers The writer of "Nuclear Meltdown In The Sky?" (Letters, Tuesday) hasn't thought through his response to "Mission to Mars" (Editorial, Feb. 14). OK, so the Columbia broke up on re-entry, spreading debris over a...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Stocks Advance On Lowered Terror Alert.(MAKING MONEY)
February 28, 2003... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The Dow industrial average picked up almost 1% Thursday, recovering most of Wednesday's losses. The S&P 500 rebounded nearly 1.2%. Stryker rose 1.41 to 65.17, climbing back above its 50-day moving average line...

Hi-Fi Products Maker Singing Strong Profit.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 28, 2003... Byline: David Saito-Chung Harman International Industries rallied out of a sloppy cup-with-handle base on Halloween last year, a few weeks after the market's follow-through. The stock rose 18%, but reversed hard Dec. 2 after hitting the...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Starts Strong, Recedes, Closes Strong.(B)
February 28, 2003... Byline: JONAH KERI The market started with big gains, retreated, then closed strongly Thursday. The Nasdaq finished up 1.6%, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 2.1%. Volume inched up slightly. PPD Inc. (formerly Pharmaceutical Product...

Monro, Netflix Inch Toward Their Highs.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 28, 2003... Byline: Jonah Keri Monro Muffler Brake has formed an eight-month base. The stock has formed a series of bases since 1999, which could put this latest late-stage pattern at increased risk of failure. Monro sits 9% off its high. The...

The 1929, 2000 Tops Look Alike.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
February 27, 2003... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG Think the tech market meltdown of 2000 was unique, a special case? Think again. Although a lot more shares changed hands in March of that year than at the end of the mighty bull market of the 1920s, the two...

Confidence Improving For Small Businesses After A Sharp Decline Optimism Index Hits 54.6 But the gain is tentative, as just two of six groups register higher sentiment.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: JED GRAHAM Small-business confidence edged up in the first quarter even as consumer views took a turn for the worse. The latest IBD/TIPP Small Business Optimism Index rose a point to 54.6 in the quarter. That halts the steep...

Spinoffs, Mergers Show Brokers Still Adjusting To Market Woes Industry job cuts trail those taken in 1973-74, when 19% were let go.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: KEN HOOVER Barring a sustained stock market rally soon, the bear market will begin its fourth year next month. After such a long stretch, you'd think the cuts and cutbacks in the brokerage industry would be over. They're not....

AFTER THE CLOSE.(A)(AFTER THE CLOSE)
February 27, 2003... TREX lost 10 cents in Q4, better than last year's 16-cent loss and views for a 14-cent deficit. Sales rose 15% to $19.6 mil, above views. But the fake lumber firm sees 97 cents to $1.01 in the 1st half. Analysts expected $1.08. UNITED...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
February 27, 2003... FINANCE Swiss Reinsurance cuts dividend It's the first time since 1906 the world's No. 2 reinsurer will do so, as falling stocks eroded investments and led to a loss of $74 mil after charges. Swiss Re didn't say how much it'll cut...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(A)
February 27, 2003... REGULATION Wall St. settlement talks drag on A source says regulators, states and 12 investment banks hope to wrap up the $1.5 bil settlement to end probes into biased research by the end of March, but they're getting bogged down...

THE ECONOMY.(A)
February 27, 2003... Home buying interest falls again The mortgage applications index rose 5.5% last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. Refis rose 10.1% to a three-month high, as the 30-year mortgage rate hit a record low 5.65%. But applications for...

NATION.(A)
February 27, 2003... Shuttle danger seen inside NASA One day before the Columbia disaster, senior NASA engineers raised concerns the shuttle's left wing might burn off and cause the deaths of the crew, describing a scenario much like the one investigators...

WORLD.(A)
February 27, 2003... Netanyahu loses Cabinet post Prime Minister Ariel Sharon apparently maneuvered Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- a rival in the Likud Party -- out by offering him the finance portfolio. Netanyahu, who had said he would stay on only...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(A)
February 27, 2003... Global drug sales growth stalled Health care info firm IMS Health says sales grew just 7% in '02, well below recent double-digit gains. It blamed price pressure from governments, generic competition and a dearth of new drugs. U.S. sales...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(A)
February 27, 2003... ** Men and women agree on how attractive another person is, says a study from Sam Houston State University in Texas. Most people overestimate their looks, but women seem to know how men view them. ** A new way to gauge inflammatory...

DEAL WITH PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY Motivate From The Top.(A)(IBD 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
February 27, 2003... Byline: Cord Cooper 9To get the most from people during tough times, take tips from leaders as varied as Ronald Reagan, Michael Dell and Colin Powell. Trade here-and-now negatives for potential positives, and communicate a vision to...

His Vision Saw Broad Horizons Innovate: Alfred the Great's courage, long-term thinking spurred England's union.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: DONNA HOWELL Danish Viking invasions ripped through ninth-century England. One by one, the local Anglo-Saxon tribes -- not yet organized into a nation -- fell to marauders. Villages burned, monasteries crumbled. These were...

European Firm No. 3 In Chip Gear Sales.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: James DeTar U.S., Japan and Europe filled the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 spots in a recent ranking of the biggest semiconductor equipment companies. Netherlands-based ASM Holding NV was the big surprise last year. ASM jumped up two...

Studies: Web Remains A Tower Of Babel Information Hard To Uncover Despite Net's advances, quest for specific data still flusters too many folks.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: PETE BARLAS Some consumers are getting lost on the information highway. The Internet might be better, faster and more powerful than a few years ago, but consumers who use it to get financial information and to shop for...

Government's Intent To Up Tech Spending Will Help Few Firms Won't Be "Pot Of Gold' Analysts say fed dollars for most part will target pre-existing projects.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE A sad chapter in Broadwing Inc.'s history is over, while a new tale is unfolding at investment venture Cequel III. Broadwing on Tuesday sold 95% of its long-distance phone unit to C III Communications Inc....

HP Positioning Itself To Compete In Unix, Linux, Windows Markets.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Linux, the open-source operating system, competes against Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and versions of the Unix operating system. But it's tough to separate fact from marketing-ese. Linux...

A Small Typing Mistake Can Lead To A Bigger Tax Bill Entering Account Data To avoid costly errors, investors' group advises using portfolio software.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN A funny thing happened while I was trying to invest online. I nearly got stomped by the tax man. Over the past month, I've consolidated my mutual funds into one account. As a result, my earnings jumped to...

Tech Firms Work To Secure Ports A New Container Law Shippers ensuring safety of cargo using satellite gear, other technologies.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: J. BONASIA The nation made airline safety a top priority in the wake of 9-11. Yet it's paid scant attention to U.S. seaports, which handle 17,000 shipping containers each day and process nearly 90% of imports. Experts warn...

RETAIL TRENDS Sporting-Goods Chains Score Big With Merger.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: MARILYN MUCH It's taken years, but Douglas Morton finally landed the prize he's been chasing. Morton is chief executive of Gart Sports Co., the nation's second largest sporting-goods retailer. Last week Gart announced plans...

ACETO CORP. Lake Success, New York Generic-Drug Market Provides Relief Here.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE After more than a decade of middling financial returns, chemical distributor Aceto Corp. has shown recent strength thanks to a few changes in its business model. The company sells to chemical and pharmaceutical...

Separate Accounts Showing Little Zip Used By The Wealthy Pricing hassles, lack of outperformance limit appeal to shareholders.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF The $66 million Mason Hill Asset Management separate account is the sort of investment opportunity that inspires envy in some shareholders. The account, using a deep-value strategy, gained 38.24% in 2002. The S&P...

Afghan Spring.(A)(EDITORIALS)
February 27, 2003... Iraq: After the U.S. goes to war with Iraq, what then? Many people, both critics and supporters, are wondering. Well, take a look at neighboring Afghanistan. That's right, Afghanistan, which we were told over a year ago would become a...

Bleeding Arts.(A)(EDITORIALS)
February 27, 2003... Government: It's being reported that the budget crises in the states are threatening publicly funded arts programs. Could such good news be true? It's possible. We've seen stories in the U.S. media that several states, most prominently...

NYSE Stocks Falter On Lighter Volume.(B)
February 27, 2003... Byline: IBD STAFF The Dow industrial average let a modest gain turn into a 1.3% loss Wednesday. The S&P 500 also fell 1.3%. Volume slumped. Kenneth Cole Productions fell 3.04 to 22.75, erasing five days' worth of gains on nearly...

Market Retreats As Profits, Iraq, Oil Prices Take Toll.(B)
February 27, 2003... Byline: CHRIS GESSEL Hans Blix, oil prices and Hewlett-Packard gave the market nothing but grief Wednesday. After Tuesday's close, Hewlett beat profit estimates but missed sales targets. Analysts also grumbled that HP's new method...

AdvancePCS Working Through Long Base.(B)
February 27, 2003... Byline: Jonah Keri AdvancePCS has formed a long, deep base and continues to claw its way back as it guns for its October 2001 high. It's climbed to within 20% of its 52-week high. The provider of pharmacy benefit management services...

New Products Help Lift Stryker's Growth.(B)
February 27, 2003... Byline: David Saito-Chung Stryker cleared a seven-month cup with handle in mid-October and climbed 14% to as high as 69. The stock then slid back to near its pivot point. It's working on a new base. The Kalamazoo, Mich.-based firm...

Nasdaq U-Turns, Closes Near Its Intraday Lows.(B)
February 27, 2003... Byline: JONAH KERI The market produced a mirror image of Tuesday's session, going from small early gains to significant losses by day's end. The Nasdaq dropped 1.7%, the Nasdaq 100 2.2%. Volume finished below Tuesday's level and below...

Confidence Improving For Small Businesses After A Sharp Decline; Optimism Index Hits 54.6; But the gain is tentative, as just two of six groups register higher sentiment.(A)(IBD/TIPP POLL)
February 27, 2003... Byline: JED GRAHAM Small-business confidence edged up in the first quarter even as consumer views took a turn for the worse. The latest IBD/TIPP Small Business Optimism Index rose a point to 54.6 in the quarter. That halts the steep...

Spinoffs, Mergers Show Brokers Still Adjusting To Market Woes; Industry job cuts trail those taken in 1973-74, when 19% were let go.(A)
February 27, 2003... Byline: KEN HOOVER Barring a sustained stock market rally soon, the bear market will begin its fourth year next month. After such a long stretch, you'd think the cuts and cutbacks in the brokerage industry would be over. They're not....