Investor's Business Daily articles from February 2005

Investor's Business Daily archives from February 2005

Q4 GDP Nudged Up On Better Exports, A Good Sign For '05; Output Rose A Solid 3.8%; Business investment also was higher than thought; home resales still strong.(A)
February 28, 2005... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE The U.S. economy grew at a 3.8% annual rate in the fourth quarter, faster than first forecast, thanks to a smaller trade gap and strong software sales, the Commerce Department said Friday. GDP was revised from an...

MARKET TOOL BAR.(A)
February 28, 2005... S&P 500 INDEX 1211.37 +11.17 (+0.9%) Oil names post wins as crude prices rise DOW JONES IND. 10,841.60 +92.81 (+0.9%) Exxon Mobil hits new all-time high NYSE VOL. (MIL) 1,519 +4 (+0.3%)...

Showdown Looms In High Court On Free, Illicit Music Downloads; Entertainment industry wants tech firms liable for ill use of software.(A)
February 28, 2005... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Movie and music moguls are out to get John and Jane Doe, possibly millions of them, for costing them billions in losses each year. On a typical day John Doe opens a free software program on his computer and...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
February 28, 2005... Stocks Finish Week On High Note 1The Nasdaq started Friday weak, but rebounded to end up 0.7% in lower volume. The small-cap S&P 600 climbed 1.6%. The Dow and S&P 500 both rose 0.9% to 2005 closing highs as NYSE trade was up slightly....

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... BANK OF AMERICA notified federal authorities it lost a "small number" of data tapes containing U.S. gov't staff information while shipping the data to a backup center. Shares fell. STARBUCKS' CEO backed a 7% same-store sales increase in...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... METALS Cleveland Cliffs hikes Aussie bid The U.S. iron ore producer raised its takeover offer for Portman Mining, Australia's No. 3 iron ore miner, by 13% to $532 mil. The move follows a steep jump in iron ore prices resulting from...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... ENERGY Rising crude pumps up oil firms A sustained rally in oil prices spilled over to energy stocks as Exxon Mobil surged 3.5% to a record 63.26, Quicksilver rose 3% to 49.75 and Southwestern climbed 2% to 61.86. Prudential Equity...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... MEDICAL Drug makers tied to cox-2 panel Ten of the 32 FDA advisory panelists that voted to allow the sale of cox-2 inhibitors for pain relief, despite alleged heart risks, had ties to the firms selling the drugs. The Center for...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... SERVICES Heidrick finds Q4 profit windfall The executive search firm earned 44 cents a share, up 340% from a year ago ex items and 26 cents over views. Revenue climbed 20% to $98.7 mil. Results benefited from demand for consumer,...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... ECRI U.S. index down but not out The Economic Cycle Research Institute's leading index fell to 133.9 in the week ended Feb. 18 from 134.3 in the prior week. Interest rates and jobless claims rose while mortgage applications for buying a...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... Indian outsourcing tops $17 bil India's export revenues from software outsourcing will reach $17.3 bil in the fiscal year ending in March '05, the National Association of Software and Service Companies says; this is a 35.2% rise over the...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... Conn. edges toward civil unions A key state legislative panel voted 25-13 for a bill to allow gays to enter into marriagelike arrangements. Proponents believe the bill has enough support to pass the statehouse. Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2005... U.N. preparing troops for Sudan Jean-Marie Guehenno, U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations, said the world body is gearing up to deploy 10,000 troops in Sudan to monitor the accord to end the civil war. The gov't and...

Turn Your Team Loose.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: Cord Cooper 1 Ikea has risen from obscurity to household name -- at lightning speed in the U.S. -- largely because of its hands-on work force. Three years ago, Ikea had only 14 stores in the States -- but was the nation's...

Federal Judge William Bootle; Innovate: Rigid adherence to the law didn't rule out creative decisions.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: PETE BARLAS In 1961 William Bootle, a federal judge in Macon, Ga., ordered the University of Georgia to admit two black students. The white public reacted like a hornets' nest just hit by a baseball bat. Desegregation...

Deloitte Going Against The Grain In "Mixing' Accounting, Consulting; Still Under Single Roof; The other Big 5 auditors have separated the units due to fear of conflicts.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2005... Byline: J. BONASIA The firm continues to defy conventional wisdom. Since the start of the tech downturn, in a trend accelerated by the Enron scandal, all the Big 5 accounting firms sold or spun off their consulting units. All,...

Intel Product Makers At Developer Forum To Ascend 'Platform'; It's Aiming For More Centrinos; Platform approach worked well the first time, and top chipmaker aims for repeats.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2005... Byline: JAMES DETAR The train is leaving the station. Get on the platform, or get left behind. That's the message Intel has for the approximately 5,000 software programmers expected to gather Tuesday through Thursday in San...

As UNE-P Laws Fade Away, Bells Out To Win Back Users; Phaseout On March 11; Rules let telecom rivals lease lines from regional Bells at affordable rates.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE March 11 could be the beginning of the end for local phone companies. That's when federal regulators will phase out something called UNE-P -- rules that force regional Bells to rent their networks to local...

LEGG MASON INC Baltimore, Maryland; Legg Mason Is Rolling In Dough -- But How Long Will It Last?(THE NEW AMERICA)
February 28, 2005... Byline: MARILYN ALVA Legg Mason is at the top of its game. Its asset managers have taken in record amounts of new money the last two years. And the last quarter was Legg Mason's best. Nearly $22 billion of new money flowed into the...

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)
February 28, 2005... GOVERNMENT WORK Recruiting Tactics Workforce Week reports that the federal government faces tough times when it comes to recruiting new workers. First, it's competing with the private sector for the most talented scientists,...

Stopping Workplace Incivility; More companies realize that on-the-job rudeness can mean lower revenue.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: MARILYN MUCH A few weeks ago, a squabble broke out during a meeting at the New York headquarters of upscale handbag and accessories retailer Coach. The group was discussing ways to improve the supply chain that brings...

MED BRIEFS.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
February 28, 2005... Medco Buying Accredo For $2 Bil Pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions inked a deal to buy specialty pharmacy services provider Accredo Health for $2.2 billion in cash and stock. Medco says it will manage Accredo's...

Arena Pharmaceuticals Lands Rare Deal With J&J Subsidiary; Funding, Then Trials; CEO says chance to be involved with the "next big thing" sealed deal.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)(Q & A)
February 28, 2005... Byline: PETER BENESH Most biotech firms are lucky to get cash infusions from big drug firms once a product has proved itself in clinical trials. Arena Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego-based biotech, broke the mold. In December it...

Crest Sinks Teeth (And Money) Into New Marketing Campaign; It Eyes Mouthwash Market; In an industry dominated by Pfizer's Listerine brand, P&G unit makes bold move.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
February 28, 2005... Byline: AMY REEVES A battle is brewing between two titans of industry. Their battlefield? Your mouth. In April, Procter & Gamble's Crest division will launch its new mouthwash, Crest Pro-Health Rinse. Though the Crest name has...

Caremark Rides High After Buy; Caremark Rx Inc. Nashville, Tenn. caremark.com.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)(UNDER THE MICROSCOPE)
February 28, 2005... Byline: Marilyn Much After making its mark with corporate customers, pharmacy benefit manager Caremark Rx is gaining clout with managed-care outfits. Pharmacy benefit managers cut deals with drug firms to get lower prescription drug...

Market-Leading Medical Stocks.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
February 28, 2005... 1Dialysis Corp Of AmericaOutpnt/Home CareDCAI27.13-13.879799B0125044 The kidney dialysis clinic chain's earnings grew 77% in the first three quarters of last year over the comparable period in 2003. 2Angiodynamics...

New Rule Eases The Shift To Roth IRA; Helps Estate Planning; Change makes it easier for older account owners to qualify for a conversion.(FUNDS & PERSONAL FINANCE)
February 28, 2005... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF A recent tax-rule change makes it much easier to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. That will help people build bigger retirement accounts. And it will make it easier to pass Roth IRAs to spouses and other...

Hurray For Hollyweird.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2005... Culture: Hollywood is at last recognizing that its market also includes the majority of Americans in the so-called red states who want more wholesome entertainment. PG-rated films are now outgrossing R-rated ones, and two inspirational...

Chinese Checkers.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2005... Geopolitics: As the European Union threatens to end its arms embargo against China, Beijing's growing economic power and military buildup are causing concern among leaders in Washington and Tokyo. In a major change to the U.S.-Japan...

Insufficient Funds.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2005... Equity: As we debate the soundness of Social Security, the administration wants to add an entire country to the system. Should day laborers from Juarez get benefits we can't guarantee to construction workers in Toledo? Last June, Social...

While We Have Time.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2005... Missile Defense: Didn't hear about the successful test over the Pacific last Thursday? Why not? China's Xinhua News Agency covered it. But not NBC, ABC or CBS. At least, not that we could see. The New York Times had a wire story on its...

After Cutting Costs, Hotels Welcome Back Guests; As economy rebounds, industry spruces up bedding while holding down expenses; occupancy, prices continue rising.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)(HOTELS & MOTELS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: MARILYN ALVA Battered for three years by a prolonged travel slump, the hotel industry is finally enjoying good times. As the economy recovered last year and business travel budgets loosened up, hotel demand and occupancy...

Follow Fresh Leaders In The Best Groups.(THE IBD 100)(INSIDE THE IBD 100)
February 28, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI It's a tried and true strategy of growth investing: Target the best stocks in leading industries to nail down the best gains. IBD makes spotting the leading industries easy with the Industry Groups section, found...

THE IBD 100.(THE IBD 100)
February 28, 2005... 1Toll BrothersTOL89.74+2999998+49+115+79+672416325 CEO sees stronger demand for its luxury homes. Expects 60% profit growth in '05, 20% in '06. 2Monarch Casino & RsMCRI38.00-14979998+18+116+41+1021..483 Reno casino operator may...

Prescription For Medical Profits: Old Paper Records Go Electronic.(THE IBD 100)
February 28, 2005... Byline: ALAN ELLIOTT Your grocery store, your corner service station, your local library, even the person who reads your utility meter -- most of them have switched to computer-based records-keeping. But chances are your doctor still...

IBD'S WEEK IN REVIEW.(THE IBD 100)
February 28, 2005... Cold Temps, Output Fears Lift Oil Prices 1April crude traded as high as $52.05 a barrel last week before closing at $51.49, up $2.48 for the four-day week. OPEC members downplayed talk of a production cut in March. "I think a $50 oil...

THE IBD 100.(THE IBD 100)
February 28, 2005... 51Steel DynamicsSTLD45.65+4999791+1+880+147+115622215 Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steel bar maker boasts triple-digit sales growth in past three quarters. 52Penn Natl GamingPENN60.24-16959695+36+41+16+822..205 Horse track, casino...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
February 28, 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...

Use A Complete Investing Strategy Based On Pure Facts, Not Opinion.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
February 28, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER If your car is running smoothly, you wouldn't trade it in for an out-of-repair clunker, would you? The same should be true of your investing method. If a system consistently proves to make money, why would...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Oil, Steel, Builders Among Dow And S&P Gainers.(MAKING MONEY)
February 28, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER The Dow industrials and the S&P 500 advanced 0.9% Friday as volume ticked up. April crude oil futures closed up 0.10 at $51.49 a barrel, giving a boost to shares in oil companies. Western Gas Resources...

Wellpoint Expects '05 EPS Of $7.75, Up 17%.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: Katharine Stalter Wellpoint has rallied 41% since early November, when it zoomed above its 50-day moving average after a four-week visit below that price line. It's found support just above its 50-day the past three weeks....

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE 2nd Straight Late Rally Lifts Nasdaq To Gains.(B)
February 28, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI A second straight session capped by a late rally carried the Nasdaq higher Friday. The composite rose 0.7%, the Nasdaq 100 0.6%. Volume finished well lower. Metal stocks continued to thrive. Dynamic Materials...

Genlyte Etches High Handle At Base's End.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: Jonah Keri Genlyte Group broke out of a short pattern without a handle in early February. The stock hit a high of 90.75 and has since etched a high handle in bullishly light volume at the end of its base. The maker of...

Resorts Int'l Hit The Jackpot In Atlantic City.(THE SMART INVESTOR)(WINNING WAYS)
February 28, 2005... Byline: KEN HOOVER New Jersey voters approved a ballot measure in November 1976 to legalize gambling in Atlantic City. They made betting palatable by earmarking a portion of casino revenue to be paid to the state to help the old and...

Social Security Reform Won't Boost U.S. Debt.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(ON THE RIGHT)
February 28, 2005... Byline: Robert G. Hansen and John R. Lott Jr. The Social Security debate is quickly becoming one of how to finance any reforms. On Feb. 16, the president stated he was open to raising Social Security taxes, and Alan Greenspan, while...

Search Companies Find Ad Landscape Worrying Investors; Google, Yahoo Shares Fall; Analyst downgrades firms; Internet advertising study shows sales lag forecasts.(A)
February 25, 2005... Byline: PETE BARLAS Search might be in a lurch, but analysts say it's too early to start playing any funeral dirge. Online search company stock prices plunged Thursday after a research report and one company's poor results raised...

Supporters Of ANWR Oil Drilling Believe Votes Are Finally There; Legislative tricks eyed; greens, Dems opposed and big oil on sidelines.(A)
February 25, 2005... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS Republican leaders have been trying to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for years. This time they may actually strike oil. They will have to overcome still-fierce opposition from Democrats and green...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
February 25, 2005... Major Indexes End At Day's Highs 1 Despite an Internet sell-off, the Nasdaq shook off early losses to rally 1%, led by chips, shippers, biotechs and industrials. The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, lagging the small-cap S&P 600's 1.2%. Volume grew,...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... QWEST submitted a revised $8 bil bid to buy MCI, which has accepted Verizon's lower bid. It offered to pay out the cash portion earlier and added a stock collar to protect vs. a drop in its share price. Qwest and MCI fell. IBM staff in...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... BUILDING Pulte raises guidance for 3 years Pulte Homes, the No. 2 U.S. home builder, raised its '05 earnings forecast to $9-$9.50 a share, topping views of $8.99. The construction company also projected earnings from continuing...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... METALS Strong report boosts mining firms Joy Global, a mining equipment maker, surged 18.5% to 35 after reporting it earned 27 cents a share in Q1, up from a penny per share it earned a year ago and 6 cents over views. Revenue...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... TRANSPORTATION Ryanair boosts fleet with Boeing Europe's No. 1 discount airline ordered 70 planes from Boeing and took an option to buy 70 more. The $4 bil deal signals Ryanair's plans to expand across Europe, and gives Boeing a coup...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... RETAIL/APPAREL Deckers kicks up profit, outlook The shoe maker earned 72 cents a share in Q4, up 279% and 20 cents over views. Sales gained 108% to $74.2 mil on continued demand for its sheepskin Ugg boots and shoes and better...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... U.S. activity eased last month The Chicago Fed's National Activity Index fell to 0.21 from 0.59 in Dec. due to slower growth in production industries. Its 3-month average slid to 0.29 from 0.43 in Dec. Positive readings signal...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... Game offers slice of action, pizza Sony's built a function into Everquest II, its popular online fantasy adventure game, that lets players type in the command "pizza" and be automatically linked to the Pizza Hut Web site where they can...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... AMT tax plagues middle class About 2.4 mil taxpayers were hit with the alternate minimum tax in 2003, paying $8.7 bil to Uncle Sam. Anybody earning more than $75,000 a year could now be hit by the tax, according to tax experts. The AMT...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
February 25, 2005... Attacks in 7 Iraqi cities kill 30 A man wearing a police uniform drove a car bomb into police headquarters in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, the largest of a series of attacks in 7 cities that left 30 people dead. Fifteen police...

Writer Emily Post Penned Her Own Success Story; The Road Less Traveled: The matriarch of manners defied class and gender assumptions to teach millions how to behave.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 25, 2005... Byline: GLORIA LAU Emily Price Post's life seemed right out of a fairy tale. She was born into one of New York's gilded elite families. Nearly every material thing she could want was available. Her father, Bruce Post, a famous...

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY Partner The Wright Way.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
February 25, 2005... Byline: Steve Watkins 10 Accountability is a vital part of any partnership. But the stakes were especially high for Wilbur and Orville Wright. In their quest to build the first flying machine, the Wright brothers teamed up every step...

Alex Spanos Stays Charged Up; Feed On Risk: The self-starting construction mogul knows he'll come out on top.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 25, 2005... Byline: MARILYN MUCH For construction mogul and philanthropist Alex Spanos, the road to success is lined with risk. But he likes it that way. Especially the first one, which ended up leading him on the path to becoming one of the...

Mimo May Be Wi-Fi's Successor -- If Warring Factions Agree; Two Competing Flavors; Standards battle slowing rollout of better products for wireless networking.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 25, 2005... Byline: MIKE ANGELL If you are shopping for products to set up home wireless networks, gear vendors hope you look for the Mimo label. Mimo is a new version of the popular Wi-Fi wireless network standard. Companies such as the Linksys...

As Dell Fights Apple, It's All You Can Eat Vs. Pay As You Go; Dell Embraces Subscriptions; Company looks to eat into Apple's digital music lead with unlimited downloading.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 25, 2005... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Personal computer giant Dell is throwing its weight behind subscription music services as an alternative to the single-track purchase model favored by digital music leader Apple Computer. Dell hopes the move...

Retailers Stock Up On E-Commerce Sales; Q4 Online Sales Up 22%; Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target among the chains attracting gains on Web.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 25, 2005... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON U.S. online shopping sales surged 22% to $18.4 billion in the fourth quarter vs. the year-earlier quarter, fueled by a strong performance by large retail chains that have stepped up their Web presence. For the...

Early Computer Documentation Auctioned Off; 'Experiment' Yields $714,060.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 25, 2005... Byline: LISA SCHMEISER Cyberspace itself may be intangible and invaluable, but its paper origins now have a price tag: $714,060. On Wednesday, Christie's auctioned off the books, papers and objects linked to the intellectual...

CAL DIVE INTERNATIONAL Houston, Texas; In Gulf's Oil Fields, Construction Contractor Reaps The Whirlwind.(THE NEW AMERICA)
February 25, 2005... Byline: ALAN R. ELLIOTT Give this a try: Put on a blindfold, then use a set of chopsticks to tie your shoes. That's the degree of difficulty Cal Dive International engineers face on a daily basis, using remote-control robotics to...

Stock Funds Attract $8.7 Billion Inflow; Down From December; Those that invest abroad draw the lion's share; bond funds get $4.8 bil.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(INVESTMENT TRENDS)
February 25, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Mutual fund stock investors continued to warm to overseas markets in January. Flow into U.S.-focused long-term stock funds slowed during the month. Those funds attracted inflow of $656 million in January vs....

The Main Course.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 25, 2005... Diplomacy: President Bush's trip to Europe, widely styled as a "fence mending" mission, got loads of media attention. But it's the second part of his visit, to Eastern Europe, that's most noteworthy. Bush's trip to the European Union's...

Taking The Fifth.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 25, 2005... Property Rights: You break it, you buy it. It's a principle that has been eternally practiced in stores around the world. It's time it's applied in the courts. Take the example of a man who buys a piece of property on California's...

Don't Rely On Relative Strength Rating As A Selling Signal.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
February 25, 2005... Byline: NANCY GONDO When looking for stocks to buy, you want to make sure they sport a high Relative Price Strength Rating. This gauge helps separate the leaders from the laggards. Investors, however, should never use the RS Rating...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Home Builders Among Groups Staying Strong.(MAKING MONEY)
February 25, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER The S&P climbed 0.8% and the Dow 0.7% in higher volume Thursday. Home builders saw another day of solid gains. Lennar rose 2.90 to 58.74 in heavier-than-normal trade. The stock broke out of a nine-month...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
February 25, 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...

Teekay Shipping EPS Up 227% to $3.07.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 25, 2005... Byline: Katharine Stalter Teekay Shipping ran up 92% from January 2004 through Nov. 26, when it reached its all-time high of 54.92. It retreated, closing below its 50-day moving average for eight weeks. It's found support above that...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Late Rally Propels Nasdaq In Higher Volume.(B)
February 25, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI Nasdaq stocks perked up Thursday as a late rally carried the market to solid gains in higher volume. The Nasdaq picked up 1%, the Nasdaq 100 1.4%. Joy Global zoomed 5.45 to 35, blasting to an all-time high in...

Tibco Software Packs Growing Sales Punch.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 25, 2005... Byline: Jonah Keri Bebe Stores has taken investors on a bumpy ride lately. The stock appeared to be forming an orderly base, then suddenly plunged 14% on Jan. 20 after missing fiscal second-quarter earnings views by a penny. The stock...

Steady Fed Signals More Modest Hikes; CPI Rises Just 0.1%; Bonds, Stocks Edge Higher; Feb.1-2 meeting minutes say "incoming data' key; core inflation creeps up.(A)
February 24, 2005... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE Moderate inflation and steady words from the Federal Reserve gave the markets a breather after a rocky Tuesday. The Labor Department said Wednesday that consumer prices rose just 0.1% in January. Minutes...

Plan To Boost Homeownership May Spur Problems, Critics Say; Poor's down payments often made by charities; Bush wants gov't to aid.(A)
February 24, 2005... Byline: DAVID ISAAC Homeownership is central to the American dream, symbolized by Norman Rockwell images of white picket fences and fluttering flags. No wonder President Bush labeled his plan to boost homeownership "The American...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
February 24, 2005... Fed Minutes Signal Steady Hikes 1Fed policy-makers still think their short-term interest rate is too low after 6 hikes over 8 months, minutes from their Feb. 1-2 meeting showed. They left the door open for bigger moves, saying hikes will...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... APPLEBEE'S same-store sales rose 5.2% in Feb. If positive results continue through March, the dining chain expects to top forecasts. Shares rose. STEINER LEISURE earned 55 cents a share ex items in Q4, up 41% and 8 cents over views. The...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... TECHNOLOGY Dell: AMD no longer an option The world's No. 1 PC maker said it'll be sticking with Intel as its sole supplier of microprocessors for its PCs and servers. Dell CEO Kevin Rollins said the firm had been looking at AMD as an...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... RETAIL Lowe's Q4 up on 18% sales rise The No. 2 home improvement chain earned 64 cents a share, a nickel over views and 30.6% over the year-ago period. Lowe's sales rose 17.9% to $8.55 bil, also topping views. But the chain steered...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... TRANSPORTATION Trucking firms up on merger talk Shares of Yellow Roadway and USF surged after a published report said the two rivals are considering a merger. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that Yellow is...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... MEDICAL LCA-Vision Q4 profit up 76.9% The laser eye surgery chain earned 23 cents a share, 9 cents over views and 10 cents over the year-ago period, as revenue jumped 58% to $32.72 mil. LCA-Vision's procedure volume rose 51% to...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... Spring promos boost retail sales Redbook Research's index of chain store sales rose 0.7% in the first three weeks of Feb. from the same period in Jan. Compared with a year ago, sales were up 2.9% in the week ended Feb. 19. Spring...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
February 24, 2005... Drug blocks cocaine effects A substance similar to the benztropine drug was shown to disable cocaine's ability to stimulate users and prompt addiction, but didn't knock out the brain mechanisms cocaine targets, the Journal of...