Investor's Business Daily articles from February 2006

Investor's Business Daily archives from February 2006

Paradox To Persist Of Low Jobless Rate Amid Mild Job Gains; Productivity Cools Payrolls; Demographics also affect data as population growth shifts to older age groups.(A)
February 28, 2006... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE Growing economy? Check. Low unemployment? Check. Booming job growth? No way. That's the U.S. economy in a nutshell, and out-of-work Americans shouldn't expect any change soon. A stubborn lack of new jobs has...

Stock Buybacks At Record Highs; Firms Actually Reducing "Float'; Cash-flush companies choose repurchases vs. R&D, other alternatives.(A)
February 28, 2006... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Flush with cash, many firms are deciding the best thing to do with it is repurchase their own shares. S&P 500 companies spent more than $325 billion on their own shares in 2005. That's a record and a 64% jump...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
February 28, 2006... Big-Cap Techs Lead Stock Rally 1The Nasdaq rose 0.9%, with the big-cap Nasdaq 100 climbing 1.1%. The S&P 500 gained 0.4% while the small-cap S&P 600 and the Dow rose 0.3%. Falling oil prices helped bolster traders' spirits. Truck makers,...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... SHANDA INTERACTIVE plunged 18% after it reported a Q4 loss of 4 cents ex items, down from last year's 28-cent profit and well short of views of 27 cents. Sales at China's top online game provider fell 19.5% to $44.7 mil. VALUECLICK fell...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... DEFENSE Armor Holdings in $775 mil deal The maker of security products and vehicle armor systems said it agreed to buy Stewart & Stevenson Services, a maker of military tactical wheeled vehicles, in a deal worth $755 mil after...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... ENERGY British utility to buy KeySpan National Grid will buy the No. 3 Northeastern gas distributor for $7.3 bil, or $42 a share. Moody's plans to cut National's debt rating because it'll also absorb KeySpan's $4.5 bil debt....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... TECHNOLOGY Microsoft plans half-dozen Vistas The software giant plans 6 versions of its upcoming operating system, targeting different categories of users. Microsoft will release 3 versions for consumers, 2 for businesses and a...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... MARKETS Heavy mutual fund inflow in Jan. Combined assets of U.S. mutual funds rose $31.79 bil, or 3.2%, to $9.2 tril, according to the Investment Company Institute. That's more than triple Dec.'s inflow. Funds typically see an inflow at...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... NABE sees Q1 rebound of 4.5% GDP growth should roar back in Q1 after the Q4's tepid 1.1% expansion, according to the latest National Association for Business Economics poll of members. The 4.5% projection is up from 3.4% forecast in Nov....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... TRENDS/INNOVATIONS Green tea reduces mental decline People who regularly drink green tea may have a lower risk of mental decline as they age, researchers have found. Their study of more than 1,000 Japanese adults found certain...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... Major unions enter partnership The AFL-CIO said the 2.8-mil-member National Education Association will allow its affiliates to also join the labor federation, which was hurt last year by defections. Union leaders said the partnership with...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
February 28, 2006... Will Bush land in Afghanistan? The president leaves Tuesday for India, then will visit Pakistan. The White House isn't saying whether he cross the border to Afghanistan. ** Authorities restored supplies of food, water and...

Her Dedication Hit A High Note With Audiences; Sound Of Success: Hard work, pursuit of quality over quantity helped opera singer Leontyne Price scale musical heights.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 28, 2006... Byline: AMY ALEXANDER Opera diva Leontyne Price stepped onstage, took a breath and tried to sing. No sound came out. She tried again, but her song was a whisper. It was the fall of 1961, and Price was opening the Metropolitan Opera's...

DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS Staying Write On Target.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
February 28, 2006... Byline: Amy Alexander 2 To make your company's true dreams and goals clear as cut glass, you'll probably have to put the written word to work for you. The best and brightest generate messages that connect, define and inspire. Even if...

Failure Just Means Keep Going; Innovator: Julio Palmaz's perseverance and vision revolutionized cardiac care.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 28, 2006... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Taking a great idea from inspiration to reality can be a long journey with many ups and downs. Julio Palmaz would know. It took him 10 long years to take his idea of an intravascular stent from idea to his first...

NEW ISSUE PIPELINE Burger King: Have It Your Way, Investors.(NEW ISSUE AMERICA)
February 28, 2006... Byline: Amy Reeves Burger King Holdings Inc. Miami, Florida (305) 378-3000 burgerking.com Lead underwriters: JPMorgan and Citigroup Offering price: TBA Expected date: TBA Ticker: BKC THE BUZZ ...

Online Music Still Seeks The Right Note; CD Sales Remain Far Bigger; Internet music firms have confusing and conflicting sales models, analysts say.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2006... Byline: PETE BARLAS Don't throw that CD player away just yet. The market for selling digital music on the Internet is growing fast, but it won't approach sales of packaged compact discs for at least another 10 years, says a new...

AT&T Giving Voice To Better Prospects; Cost Cuts One Reason; A top executive says the former SBC has exciting story for next few years.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
February 28, 2006... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Three months after SBC closed its purchase of AT&T, shares in the new company stand about 15% higher. Is it a short-term rally, or does AT&T have staying power on Wall Street? Richard Lindner, the company's...

DirecTV Won't Buy Back Full GM Fund Stake; For Now, Will Buy About Half.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2006... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Keeping some of its cash hoard in reserve for a wireless broadband investment, satellite TV broadcaster DirecTV Group Monday said it will buy back less than half its common shares held by the General Motors'...

Intel Seeks Right Prescription To Boost Health Care Sales; And Forming Standards Group; Chipmaker expects U.S. health care field will need to increase tech spending.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 28, 2006... Byline: JAMES DETAR Intel plans to start chipping away at the medical market, saying the health care field is poised for big growth in technology spending. Louis Burns, an Intel vice president, gave reporters a glimpse of some...

An Intrepid Hunt For Mispriced Stocks; Owns Western Digital; JPMorgan mid-cap fund seeks gains from other investors' mental foibles.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(MUTUAL FUND PROFILE)
February 28, 2006... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF People tend to invest with their hearts, not their heads. That's not news. Over the years, studies repeatedly have shown that humans often let their emotions impact their portfolio decisions. JPMorgan...

Iran Still A Threat.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2006... Nuclear Weapons: Maybe the Russia-Iran nuclear power deal will turn out to be a breakthrough. But we can't help thinking of Ronald Reagan and the Russian proverb he was so fond of quoting: "Trust but verify." The supposed deal between...

Bucking Liberty.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2006... Media: William F. Buckley's reservations about liberating Iraq peaked over the weekend when the conservative guru pronounced the mission a failure. Good thing he was made of tougher stuff during the Cold War. Belying fears of impending...

Bad Atta-tude.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2006... Security: What are we to make of the apparent fact that a 9-11 conspirator has more interest and confidence in a secret intelligence operation that could have prevented 9-11 than does Congress or the media? Not many Americans know who...

Saddam Had WMD (Cont'd).(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 28, 2006... Justifying The War: Most in the media are ignoring the words of Saddam himself and his aides on 12 hours of captured tapes saying that Iraq's WMD were moved to Syria. But they aren't the only ones saying it. For example, three months...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Composite Up 0.2% As Trade Slips On NYSE.(MAKING MONEY)
February 28, 2006... Byline: PAUL WHITFIELD The NYSE composite index opened higher Monday morning, rose to a nearly 0.4% gain by late afternoon and settled for a 0.2% gain at the bell. Volume was lower, but NYSE advancers led decliners by a 4-3 ratio....

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
February 28, 2006... 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...

Investment Banks Point To Market's Strength.(IBD BIG CAP 20)(INSIDE BIG CAP 20)
February 28, 2006... Byline: JUAN CARLOS ARANCIBIA Financial stocks, a significant portion of IBD's Big Cap 20 in recent weeks, look even stronger. Investment banks in particular are holding tightly to their leadership among big-capitalization companies....

Cameco EPS Expected To Surge 71% In 2006.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 28, 2006... Byline: Paul Whitfield Cameco is finding support at its 10-week moving average despite edging below it recently. The Canadian company is a nuclear-power and, to a lesser extent, gold investment play. It supplies 20% of the world's...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Leads Market Higher As Volume Grows.(B)
February 28, 2006... Byline: TRANG HO The Nasdaq headed Monday's rally by adding 0.9% on heavy volume. Advancers led decliners 7-to-5. Wilshire Bancorp followed through on Friday's breakout from a nearly six-week flat base. It gained 70 cents to 19.61 on...

Landstar Drives Past Wall Street EPS Views.(B)
February 28, 2006... Byline: Trang Ho Landstar System formed a 12-week saucer-with-handle base. The stock just cleared its 44.70 buy point, though on light volume. The trucking company, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and its 16 subsidiaries provide...

IBD'S 20 RULES FOR INVESTMENT SUCCESS.(INVESTOR EDUCATION)
February 28, 2006... These rules arenAEt based on our personal opinion or those of Wall StreetAEs experts. IBD built detailed models of all the most successful stocks every year from 1880 to 2005. We analyzed their common characteristics, what...

Late-Stage Bases Elevate Risk For Investors.(INVESTOR EDUCATION)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
February 28, 2006... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE Stocks that have formed a long string of bases are often vulnerable to nasty breakdowns. Most of a stock's biggest gains will come as it breaks out of its first and second bases. That's because a stock that...

Crude Hits $62.91 As Saudis Fend Off Oil Facility Assault; Saudi Arabia: Operations OK; Fears of disruptions rise as excess output capacity offers little supply cushion.(A)
February 27, 2006... Byline: ALAN R.ELLIOTT Saudi Arabian security forces on Friday foiled a terror assault against the giant Abqaiq oil facility, which processes two-thirds of the country's daily oil output. Officials of state-owned Saudi Aramco said...

MARKET TOOL BAR.(A)
February 27, 2006... S&P 500 INDEX 1289.43 +1.64 (+0.1%) Recovers losses from early morning slide DOW JONES IND. 11,061.85 -7.37 (-0.1%) GM, AT&T and Altria among biggest losers NYSE VOL. (MIL) 1,496 -81...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
February 27, 2006... Oil Surges On Saudi Site Attack 1Suicide bombers in bomb-laden cars attacked the world's largest oil processing facility but were stopped when guards opened fire, causing the vehicles to explode, officials said. The Saudi oil minister...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... SUNSTONE HOTEL INVESTORS said it completed its refinancing of 2 assets, which will result in it taking a $7.4 mil charge in Q1 related to the loss from early repayment of debt. AVON PRODUCTS said the cost of its 4-part turnaround plan...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... MEDICAL Angiotech Pharma loses patent A British high court invalidated a patent held by Canada's Angiotech Pharma for the use of a popular cancer drug in Boston Scientific's stents. The U.K. ruling sided with a challenge brought by...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... ENERGY National Grid may buy KeySpan The British utility said it was in talks with N.Y.-based KeySpan about an all-cash "possible transaction," while a report said it was offering $42 a share, or $7.3 bil for the utility. The offer...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... TELECOM/TECH American Tower trims Q4 losses The broadcast and wireless communications towers operator lost 13 cents a share in Q4, an improvement over the 30-cent loss last year. Analysts' expected a 3-cent loss, but an accounting...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... TRANSPORTATION Japan carmakers' production rises Overseas production lifted Japanese auto output last month. By contrast, U.S. automakers are trimming production capacity. Toyota, the world's largest automaker, said domestic...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... Poole backs more clarity by Fed St. Louis Fed President William Poole said more standard wording in statements and a commitment to moving rates by only a quarter-point at a time could help keep markets better informed. In separate...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... Fear of bird flu pandemic grows About 60% of Americans are concerned about bird flu, but fewer than one-third think it will show up in the U.S. this year. The survey also found blacks tend to be more worried than whites, and that most...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... High-tech visa theft on the rise U.S. officials told Reuters a growing number of high-tech U.S. visas aimed at boosting security on the Mexico border may be winding up on the black market for sale or rent. At least 11,840 laser visas were...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
February 27, 2006... Thailand to hold new elections Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra asked the king to dissolve Parliament, forcing new elections within two months. Thaksin's troubled government has seen massive demonstrations in recent weeks, with...

Louis At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 27, 2006... Louis At A Glance Born: 1914 in Chambers County, Ala. Died: 1981 in Las Vegas. Education: Completed trade school. Achievements: ** Became one of the greatest boxers ever, and an American icon. ** Amassed a career...

She Skated Her Way To Gold With Dedication, Style; Synonym For Success: Peggy Fleming's attention to detail, work ethic earned her champion status and inspired generations.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Peggy Fleming knew the difference between good and great -- and it was just 15minutes. When Fleming was 13 years old, she and another skater practiced every day at a local rink from 5 to 7 a.m. But Fleming...

HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING Push Yourself Up A Notch.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Cord Cooper 1 Monitoring your career path means blending big-picture strategy with seemingly small details. So says global executive coach Karen Otazo in "The Truth About Managing Your Career." To move to the next level:...

What Becomes A Legend Most?; Iron Will: Joe Louis KO'd the competition with his determination to be the best.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL MINK For Joe Louis, doing what came naturally meant hard work. He sweated his way to the perfect physique of a heavyweight boxer. He focused his mind until he carried with him the mind-set of a champion at all times....

Comcast Getting Viewers For Free VOD, Now Needs Revenue; Testing Various Types Of Ads; Cable leader searching for the right formula to make video on demand profitable.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 27, 2006... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Just because most of Comcast's video on demand is free, that doesn't mean the cable TV firm doesn't plan on making money from the service. Having established a fair amount of VOD viewers, the No. 1 cable...

Hot Chipmaker Atheros Expands Beyond Wi-Fi; Teams With Qualcomm; Pair targeting makers of dual-mode phones that support Wi-Fi, cellular.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
February 27, 2006... Byline: JAMES DETAR Atheros Communications has carved out a lucrative niche with its current crop of Wi-Fi chips. The devices let people connect their notebook PCs to the Web with no wires. But now it's time to branch out, says Chief...

Netflix To Rent High-Def DVDs Pronto; Sees Competitive Advantage; Movie rental company also expects gains as top rival Blockbuster closes stores.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 27, 2006... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Online DVD rental service Netflix sees its business accelerating as more local video rental stores close their doors and as it starts to offer high-definition movies. Netflix is putting the hurt on video rental...

Judge Expected To Rule Soon On Fate Of BlackBerry Network; Shutdown Remains Possible; Friday's hearing results in no final decision yet in the long-running patent case.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 27, 2006... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Nearly 3 million people in the U.S. use the BlackBerry wireless e-mail service, but a federal judge on Friday called some of the arguments for keeping the network up "inconsistent." That was a blow to lawyers for...

Energy Issues Could Fuel Maglev Trains; Trains Seen As More Efficient; U.S. once had the lead in maglev technology, but it lost out to Germany, Japan.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 27, 2006... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA With gas prices still sky-high, some say floating trains are an answer to rising U.S. transport costs. Also known as maglevs -- short for magnetic levitation -- these vehicles use magnets to move at high speed...

China Looks To Blaze Trail With Maglev Train System.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
February 27, 2006... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA As the U.S. debates the merits of maglev technology, China and other Asian nations are putting the trains on a fast track. China is building much of its modern transport network from scratch. And like the U.S.,...

Prices Of Recent IPOs.(THE NEW AMERICA)
February 27, 2006... Grupo Aero del Pac ADS PAC/NSE2/2420.0021.005.0028.2634.57Real Estate Operations Crdt Suisse Frst Bos Liquidity Services Inc LQDT/OTC2/2311.0010.009.0912.2522.50Internet-E Commerce Friedman, Billings Morgans Hotel Group Co...

INTEVAC INC. Santa Clara, California; Market Shift Benefits Maker Of Disk Gear.(THE NEW AMERICA)
February 27, 2006... Byline: LISA SCHMEISER "Disk sputtering" might sound like the kind of ominous grinding noise that issues from your computer, but it's really a type of production equipment for disk makers. The sputtering process deposits engineered...

MED BRIEFS.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
February 27, 2006... Controversy Over Vioxx Rages On Merck rejected new criticism from the New England Journal of Medicine that the firm failed to report three heart attacks tied to a study of Vioxx takers that the Journal published in 2000. A few days...

After Dry Spell, Small Biotechs Are Cashing In Again.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)(Q & A)
February 27, 2006... Byline: PETER BENESH A shift is under way in biotech investment. Mark Karvosky, senior analyst in biopharmaceuticals with Piper Jaffray, calls it the trickle-down effect. It's not the theory that was the legacy of Reaganomics. In...

New Class Of Drugs Targets HIV Patients With Limited Options; Merck, Gilead Lead The Way; Second-line treatments are sought as HIV becomes more resistant to drugs.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
February 27, 2006... Byline: GLORIA LAU Though nearly two dozen HIV treatments are on the market in the U.S., there's still no cure for the virus. And it mutates so rapidly, 78% of HIV patients on treatment have some form of drug resistance. Making...

Market-Leading Medical Stocks.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
February 27, 2006... 1Abaxis Inc.Systems/EquipABAX21.3-3.539994B1312512045 Makes portable blood analysis systems for veterinary and human use to provide clinicians with rapid blood constituent measurements. 2LifeCell...

Partnership Treats Pain, Eyes Gain; Pozen Inc.; Chapel Hill, N.C. pozen.com.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)(UNDER THE MICROSCOPE)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Peter Benesh Love and marriage. Horse and carriage. Pozen and Glaxo. It's a happy relationship, says John Plachetka, chief executive of Pozen, which develops products to treat migraine headaches and other pain-related...

Cutting A Slice Of Success In New York City's Sandwich Wars; The Starwich gourmet deli has a new look for patrons who have meaty appetites.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: GARY M. STERN New York City is the ultimate challenge, the Grand Prix for sandwich makers. The legendary deli sandwich was born in the Big Apple. New Yorkers are pretty finicky about what they put between two slabs of bread....

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)
February 27, 2006... COMPANIES Sales Seen On Track In Next 6 Months Sixty-two percent of top U.S. executives expect to meet their sales targets in the next six months, while over a quarter expect to exceed them. A survey of U.S. business...

Communicating Clearly Is An Art.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)(REAL SOLUTIONS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Morey Stettner Clear communicators make it seem so easy. They organize their thoughts, use simple language and don't waste words. Many businesspeople struggle to follow these rules. They may ramble, use jargon or repeat...

Jesuit Priests Invented Feedback Analysis.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)(TOUGH CALLS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Doug Tsuruoka The Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, came up with some of the world's most successful managing principles. The Catholic order was created in 1540 by Ignatius de Loyola. Loyola was a...

Who's Who In Air-Conditioning And Heating Products Stocks ranked by a combined EPS and Relative Strength.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)
February 27, 2006... 1WatscoWSO959171.661685.11682.7117333611.95.9 Coconut Grove, Fla. Distributes air conditioning, heating and refrigeration equipment. 2A.O. SmithAOS859246.951015.91689.23001.8662.9 Milwaukee. Manufactures electric motors and water...

Growing Fast, Staying Cool; Climate-control firms thriving, even as housing market starts to slow.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)(AIR-CONDITIONING AND HEATING PRODUCTS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: MARILYN MUCH The housing market may be cooling, but the climate is still great for heating and air-conditioning firms. Even if home prices slow, the number of new homes built and sold is expected to remain strong. Housing...

Buy-And-Build Tactic Helps Watsco Bulk Up; Distributor racking up acquisitions in field with some 1,300 competitors.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)(Q & A)
February 27, 2006... Byline: MARILYN MUCH When it comes to finding growth in the air-conditioning and heating distribution field, Watsco has a tried-and-true formula. The company uses a buy-and-build strategy. It acquires well-established, lucrative...

Tapping Your Portfolio In Retirement; Accessing Your Assets; It may be best to draw from IRA before taxable account or vice versa.(FUNDS & PERSONAL FINANCE)
February 27, 2006... Byline: DON KORN After you retire, you may need to draw down your investment portfolio for spending cash. You'll be faced with several choices. You can take money from your IRA or from taxable accounts. You also must decide which...

Saddam Had WMD.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 27, 2006... WMD: Now that Leno and Letterman have had their way with Vice President Cheney's hunting accident and the port controversy, maybe we can get back to something really important -- like Saddam's WMD program. Yes, the linchpin of opposition...

Lesson Of Beirut.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 27, 2006... Diplomacy: Condoleezza Rice's surprise visit to Lebanon during her latest Mideast tour demonstrates that our commitment to democracy in the region will not be shaken by the latest explosion on the evening news. While most of the world...

The HSA Solution.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 27, 2006... Health Care: Ever wonder why employers have to pay so much to provide insurance for their workers? Here's one reason: free riders. Last year, a study by Families USA found that uninsured Americans cause increases in health insurance...

Tax Threats.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
February 27, 2006... Global Economy: The U.S. tax code is so complex and burdensome that even H&R Block blundered in its filings for the last three years. More important, it's imperiling our competitiveness in the world. The company that prepares the returns...

Different Market Phases Require Different Tactics.(THE IBD 100)(INSIDE THE 100)
February 27, 2006... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE Just as a baseball coach will use different strategies in the ninth inning vs. the first, investors also should vary their tactics. It's important to know which phase of the cycle the market is in. Take profits...

Informatica's Data Crunching; Its Software Helps Firms Manage Their Information.(THE IBD 100)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Christina Wise Your company may possess the best information in the world, but it's of little use unless you can access it. That's where Informatica comes in. The Redwood City, Calif.-based firm makes data integration...

Marvell On Acquisition Spree; Chipmaker Buys Three Companies In Six Months.(THE IBD 100)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Trang Ho As one of the leaders of semiconductor industry, Marvell Technology produces networking and storage chips mostly for commercial clients. It plans to reach out to more consumers this year by expanding its line of...

Restaurants' Growth Lifts Firm; Chains' Foreign Plans Help Middleby's Results.(THE IBD 100)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Juan Carlos Arancibia Some restaurants are planning to go public, an indication that investors like the industry's outlook. That's also a favorable trend for Middleby, a supplier of ovens, ranges, toasters and other...

CBOT Looks Toward The Future; 158-Year Old Exchange Came Public Last October.(THE IBD 100)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Christina Wise The saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks doesn't seem to apply to CBOT Holdings. The company, which was founded more than a century and a half ago, has undergone some big changes in the past two years....

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
February 27, 2006... 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...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Smaller Stocks Lead NYSE Rise In Lighter Volume.(MAKING MONEY)
February 27, 2006... Byline: MARIE BEERENS The S&P 500 closed up 0.1% on Friday in lighter trade. Smaller stocks outperformed, with the small-cap S&P 600 gaining 0.5% and the midcap S&P 400 rising 0.4%. IntercontinentalExchange surged as much as 7.35, or...

VeriFone's EPS Growth In Accelerating Mode.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Marie Beerens VeriFone Holdings may be working on a second-stage base. The stock is up 148% since it came public in April. The San Jose, Calif.-based firm provides point-of-sale electronic payment transactions to financial...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE; Nasdaq Turns In 0.3% Gain On Reduced Volume.(B)
February 27, 2006... Byline: PAUL WHITFIELD The Nasdaq rose 0.3% Friday on lower volume as advancers led decliners by a 4-to-3 ratio. Among IBD 100 stocks on the Nasdaq, it was the opposite. Decliners led the advancers 29-27, with one stock unchanged....

Hibbett Tries For Six: Beat Views Last 5 Qtrs.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
February 27, 2006... Byline: Paul Whitfield Hibbett Sporting Goods appears to be setting up in a base. Last week JPMorgan initiated coverage with an overweight rating. The Birmingham, Ala.-based retailer recently reported that same-store sales were...