Investor's Business Daily articles from June 2005

Investor's Business Daily archives from June 2005

Big Factory Cooling In Midwest In May; Consumers Perk Up; Bond Yield Back Below 4%; ISM U.S. manufacturing report is due out Wed.; shoppers to the rescue?(A)
June 1, 2005... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE Midwest factory growth slowed sharply in May, but consumers are feeling a little more upbeat, data out Tuesday showed. The Purchasing Management Association of Chicago's regional manufacturing index fell to 54.1...

Delaying Social Security Reform Will Make Problems Far Worse; Cuts must get sharper; workers will have less time for better returns.(A)
June 1, 2005... Byline: JED GRAHAM Almost a decade ago, a Clinton administration Social Security advisory panel issued a stark warning. Although Social Security was projected to run surpluses for 20 years, the price of putting off difficult choices...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... HOVNANIAN earned $1.62 a share in Q2, up 53% and a penny over views. Revenue rose 32% to $1.2 billion. The home builder hiked '05 profit to over $7 a share, topping views, but guided Q3 profit 10 cents below estimates. Shares fell. ...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... TRANSPORTATION Ryanair yearly profit soars 30% The Irish budget airline logged a $330.7 mil profit, up from $254.6 mil in the year-ago period and topping views of $305 mil. Revenue rose 25.7% to $1.66 bil. Ryanair was upbeat about the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... INTERNET/TECH Google price target raised again The Internet search engine's rapid expansion of service offerings should help propel its stock price to $300, said Piper Jaffray. The brokerage's previous price target was $275. Over the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... MEDICAL Renovis, Pfizer in research deal The neurological drug developer and the drug giant will combine their programs on pain receptor VR1. Pfizer will pay Renovis a $10 mil licensing fee and up to $7 mil in research funds. Renovis...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... FINANCIAL Ameritrade, Waterhouse mull link Online discount brokerage Ameritrade and Canada's TD Bank, the owner of rival brokerage TD Waterhouse, said they were in talks involving a potential transaction. News of possible merger talks...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... CEOs: economy strong but slower The Business Roundtable's quarterly survey has 85% of top U.S. execs predicting higher 2nd-half profits, down from 89% in the last survey. Just 49% plan to raise capital spending vs. 60% in March. CEOs see...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... Wheel checks for drunk drivers A $600 sensor can test a driver's skin and determine whether he's too inebriated to drive safely. Inventor Dennis Bellehumeur says the device can prevent a car from starting and, unlike the "breath alcohol...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... Court backs convicts on religion The Supreme Court voted 9-0 to uphold a federal law protecting religious rights of prisoners. Inmates in Ohio sued prison officials for not letting them dress or worship as their faiths required. They...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
June 1, 2005... Merkel to challenge Schroeder The conservative German Christian Democrat party named Angela Merkel, 51, to challenge Gerhard Schroeder for chancellorship. Her party leads in polls by 15 points. Germany's general elections may be held as...

Perfectionism's Imperfect.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
June 1, 2005... Byline: Amy Alexander 8 Successful folks often feel a strong desire to achieve perfection. Yet those who accomplish great things are able to release themselves from perfectionism. At some point in their careers, winners realize that...

Lippi At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
June 1, 2005... Lippi At A Glance Born: 1406 in Florence, Italy. Died: 1469 in Spoleto, Italy. Education: He was taught in a monastery. Achievements: ** One of the greatest Florentine painters of the Italian Renaissance. ** He...

No Monk's Life For Fra Lippi Strokes Of Genius: The painter's talent and drive could not be confined.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
June 1, 2005... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Fra Filippo Lippi tried his best to be a monk. But by the age of 8, he knew that the friar life wasn't for him. What interested the orphan raised in a monastery in 15th century Florence was hiding in a corner and...

XTO ENERGY Fort Worth, Texas; Driller Takes The Middle Road To Success.(THE NEW AMERICA)
June 1, 2005... Byline: ALAN R. ELLIOTT Forecasts for oil prices range from $25 to $105 a barrel. The future of natural gas looks equally unruly. Some gas and oil firms are hedging their bets, bracing for either extreme. Others are committing to what...

Stock Sale Is A Reach For Infosys; Idea To Be More Global; Indian outsourcer moves more of its shares onto Nasdaq exchange in U.S.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
June 1, 2005... Byline: J. BONASIA Infosys of Bangalore, India, is working to better establish its brand globally by offering new shares of stock to investors in the U.S. and Japan. The company is one of the largest India-based outsourcers. It helps...

Carrier-Grade Capabilities May Ring Up Big Linux Sales; Now Eyes Telecom Customers; The software near a quality level that puts Unix's top, core customers in its sights.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2005... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN If Linux can run your business, why not your phone system? Companies that sell the open-source software hope more telecom and networking firms start asking that question. They're launching beefed-up...

Ameritrade, TD Waterhouse In Talks About A Possible Merger; Industry Is Consolidating Fast; E-Trade/TD almost merged last year; ET sought merger with Ameritrade last month.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2005... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Ameritrade and TD Waterhouse USA said Tuesday the two online stock-trading firms are discussing a "potential transaction" that analysts say could lead to a $2.5 billion-$4 billion merger. Such speculation has...

BigBand Plays Shift To Digital From Analog.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Startup gear maker BigBand Networks has pounced on the cable TV industry's shift to digital networks. BigBand makes electronic gear that lets cable operators route and manage video and data streams over digital...

Most Small Funds' Performance Lags; Tiny For Good Reason; A few leading managers with under $100 million remain little on purpose.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(INVESTMENT TRENDS)
June 1, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN When looking for a mutual fund, you might want to consider size. Too few assets can be a red flag, especially if a fund has been around awhile and remains tiny. A look at the performance of large and small...

Sole Survivor?(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 1, 2005... Zimbabwe: It just seemed like things couldn't get any worse under the rule of Robert Mugabe. They could, they did and they will -- as long as he retains control. When we last visited "The Shame Of Africa" last summer, we noted that Mugabe...

Running From Risk.(SERIES: THE CASE FOR THE STOCK MARKET)(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 1, 2005... Investing: Should Americans stake more of their retirement on the stock market? The dependency lobby says no -- better to trust politicians' promises and brace for tax hikes. It's time to hear the market's side. As we watch President Bush...

The EU's Trade Charade.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 1, 2005... Competition: In the European Union, the fight has just begun. No, we're not talking about the lost battle over its failed constitution, but of the EU's ongoing row with the U.S. over unfair subsidies to aerospace giant Airbus. Tired of...

Aid And Comfort.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 1, 2005... The War On Terror: Every American has the right to an attorney. Now an army of leftist lawyers is descending on the prisoner-of-war camp at Guantanamo Bay to make sure those trying to kill us have the same right. War is a nasty enough...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Leading Stocks Weather Dow, S&P 500 Drops.(MAKING MONEY)
June 1, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER The Dow industrials fell 0.7% and the S&P 500 0.6% in heavier volume Tuesday. Despite the pullback, more stocks with strong EPS and RS Ratings advanced than declined. Eagle Materials dropped 2.94 to 87.67 in...

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

Home Builder M.D.C.'s EPS Rating Stays High.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
June 1, 2005... Byline: Katharine Stalter M.D.C. Holdings has been shaping a third-stage base since early March. It gapped up in heavy volume May 18, jumping above its 50-day moving average for the first time since March 10. It's been holding above that...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Drops, But Few Leaders Take Big Blows.(B)
June 1, 2005... Byline: JUAN CARLOS ARANCIBIA The Nasdaq closed 0.4% lower after a couple of rallies failed to bring the composite into positive territory Tuesday. The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.5%. Volume was heavier than Friday's preholiday level, but below...

Top-Performing Companies Move Their Wares Out The Door Fast.(B)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
June 1, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER IBD readers understand the importance of supply and demand. In this column, IBD frequently explains why details such as volume on the breakout day, number of shares outstanding, and stock splits can all affect the...

New Imaging Systems Fuel Hologic's Growth.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
June 1, 2005... Byline: Juan Carlos Arancibia Hologic may have started building a handle after the stock formed a cup pattern for 13 weeks. Shares are approaching a high of 49.50 set way back in September 1996. The company makes digital imaging...

IN BRIEF.(FUTURES & BONDS)
June 1, 2005... Byline: Compiled from Reuters Bank Of China Talks Going Well Bank of China, which is hoping to attract investors before selling shares to the public, said Tuesday that talks with suitors from three continents were going well. BOC, the...

Sluggish Factories, Fed In '8th Inning,' Spur Market Rally; Crude Jumps 5% to $54.60; Bond yield sinks to 3.9% on ISM index's 2-yr nadir, talk of end to rate hikes.(A)
June 2, 2005... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE Manufacturing barely grew last month, though that was better than some had feared. Along with Fed comments suggesting rate hikes may be coming to a close, financial markets rallied, shrugging off surging oil prices....

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
June 2, 2005... Stocks, Bonds Surge On ISM, Fed 1Slowing manufacturing growth and Dallas Fed comments suggesting rate hikes may be nearly over boosted financial markets. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 rose 0.9%, the Dow 0.8%, the small-cap S&P 600 1.1% as volume...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... CANTEL MEDICAL earned 23 cents a share in Q3, up 15% but 3 cents short of views. The medical gear maker's sales rose 8% to $50.5 mil. Shares plunged 20%. JPMORGAN CHASE's president warned that Q2 trading results are the worst they've been...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... MEDICAL Icahn renews Mylan Labs bid The financier again offered to buy the generic drug maker for $20 a share, sending shares up 4.5% to 17.24. Carl Icahn made moves to buy Mylan Laboratories in Nov., when it was planning to buy King...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... TECHNOLOGY Google upgrade fuels an up day The Web search engine rose 4% to a new high of 288 after Credit Suisse First Boston raised Google's price target from $275 to $300 and said Google's e-mail, shopping and map businesses would...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... DEFENSE Engineered Support falls on miss The defense contractor fell 10% to 35.10 after production delays and increased costs from a military mobile power generation and distribution system dragged down Q2 results. Earnings with...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... TELECOM SBC to offer low-cost broadband The No. 2 U.S. local phone company slashed the price of its DSL service to $14.95 a month, applicable for a 12-month contract. SBC is also offering SBC Yahoo DSL Pro, which offers faster Internet...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... Construction hits record in April U.S. construction spending jumped 0.5% to a record $1.067 tril annual rate. Economists expected 0.7%. Ongoing low mortgage rates continue to fuel construction. Businesses looked more confident as private...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... Automatic bartender cuts wait A Scottish inventor came up with a vending machine that stocks up to 300 bottles of chilled alcoholic beverages and serves them without shaking or breaking the bottles. The machine accepts cash, and inventor...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... Rumsfeld defends prison camp Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defended the military's handling of detained terror suspects and criticized Amnesty International for calling the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "the gulag of...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
June 2, 2005... Australia probes powder attack In what may be the country's first biological attack, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra was locked down after an unidentified white powder fell out of a letter addressed to the ambassador. PM John Howard said he...

Is Your Resume Ageless?(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
June 2, 2005... Byline: Cord Cooper 9 Though the Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits discrimination against candidates 40 and above, companies still find ways to screen out older applicants -- especially if firms' work forces are young, or...

Archimedes, Father Of Science; Innovate: The Greek laid a foundation for higher disciplines of thought.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
June 2, 2005... Byline: NANCY GONDO Archimedes often drew diagrams in sand to work out mathematical problems. Luckily for the Western world, he also kept detailed notes on his discoveries so others could learn from and expand on them. Few details...

SBC Slashes Its Broadband Internet Price; Entry Level Just $14.95/Mo.; Cable, phone rivals assess firm's move amid concern price war could break out.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 2, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE SBC Communications' long-term trend of cutting prices hit a low Wednesday. It slashed broadband Internet service to $14.95 a month for new customers who sign up online. SBC lowered prices 25% from $19.99...

Carriers' Data Revenue May Be On Hold; Could Be Cut Out Of The Loop; Users get data elsewhere as advances in technology are added to cell phones.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 2, 2005... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Wireless carriers love slick new cell phones. Their sales rise as customers use more new features on their fancy new headsets. There's just one problem with some of the snazzy, newest mobile phones -- they include...

The Dot In Dot-Com's Now The 'S' In Sharing; Sun Micro Rebranding; Server company starting marketing campaign for the 'Participation Age'.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
June 2, 2005... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN Sun Microsystems has an image problem. So say executives with the ailing server maker, which Wednesday launched a multimillion-dollar makeover to help revive its fortunes. In the late 1990s, Sun thrived on...

ITRON Spokane, Washington; A World Where Meter Readers No Longer Trudge Across Your Grass.(THE NEW AMERICA)
June 2, 2005... Byline: MARILYN ALVA After several years of financial woes, utility companies have cleaned up their balance sheets, filed for rate increases and opened their wallets for new technologies. The spending trend puts companies such as Itron...

Janus' Orion Hunts For Big Winners; A Tale Of Turnaround; Manager Ron Sachs tries to spear growth stocks before others spot them.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
June 2, 2005... Byline: KEN HOOVER Orion is the hunter of the night sky, stalking his way across the midwinter heavens with his two dogs. So when Janus wanted to start a go-anywhere, multi-cap growth fund, naming the fund for the well-known...

Russian Roulette.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 2, 2005... Justice: The sentencing of billionaire Mikhail Khodor-kovsky to nine years in prison casts a pall over Russia's economy. Who wants to invest in a country where the government might seize your assets? The 41-year-old businessman is getting...

Rocking The Poor.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 2, 2005... Relief: When last we heard from Bob Geldof -- now Sir Bob -- the Irish rock singer was drawing attention to African famine by assembling superstars to perform in something called "Live Aid." That was 20 years ago. The concerts, the...

The Non-English Patient.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
June 2, 2005... Immigration: The flood of illegal aliens coming into the U.S. is forcing the closure of hospitals, spreading previously vanquished disease and threatening America's health care system. This is the conclusion of a report in the spring 2005...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Dow, S&P 500 Make Gains As Volume Drops.(MAKING MONEY)
June 2, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER The S&P 500 gained 0.9% Wednesday and the Dow 0.8% as volume edged lower. More leading stocks -- those with high EPS and RS Ratings -- were up in above-average volume. But among stocks trading downward,...

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

Oshkosh Truck Adding Refurbishing Facility.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
June 2, 2005... Byline: Katharine Stalter Oshkosh Truck is working on the right side of a cup base it started in mid-April. The new base followed a 38% run-up from its November breakout at 60.70. The stock has traded above its 10-week moving average for...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Adds 1% As Tech Stocks Keep Mending.(B)
June 2, 2005... Byline: JUAN CARLOS ARANCIBIA The Nasdaq moved confidently Wednesday, climbing 0.9% to a 12-week high on heavier volume. The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1%. Technology shares were among the day's winners, as the sector continued to mend. ...

Spotting The Buy Point: Genesco Needed Multiple Breakout Tries.(B)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
June 2, 2005... Byline: JUAN CARLOS ARANCIBIA Sometimes, a cup with handle takes an awkward turn: a slight deformity that, despite itself, doesn't ruin the overall pattern. One such case was Genesco's chart last summer and fall. In terms of meeting...

Starbucks Moving Up From Its Support Lines.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
June 2, 2005... Byline: Juan Carlos Arancibia Starbucks has closed four straight weeks above its 10- and 40-week moving averages as the stock recovers from a 31% decline it began at the start of the year. The stock appears to be forming a double...

IN BRIEF.(FUTURES & BONDS)
June 2, 2005... Byline: Compiled from Reuters Move Awaited In Euro Junk Bonds Issuance in the European junk bond market could return to life soon as turmoil sparked by the downgrades of General Motors and Ford fades, said Eric Capp, head of European...

Keep Eye Out For Anomalies Among Ratings.(THE SMART INVESTOR)(INVESTORS.COM CORNER)
June 2, 2005... Byline: KEN SHREVE When researching a stock, it's always good practice to uncover anomalies about the company. For example, a firm may have two quarters of triple-digit earnings increases with single-digit sales growth. Or a stock may...

Retailer Sales Solid, Teens, Luxury Lead; Other Data Mixed; May Jobs Report Out Friday; Jobless rolls, labor costs, factory orders not great, but consumers still fine.(A)
June 3, 2005... Byline: IBD STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS The nation's retailers had generally solid sales last month, overcoming a cold spring as cheerier consumers were willing to spend. May's big winners once again were luxury stores such as Nordstrom and...

Specialty Chains Grabbing A Bite Of Fresh, Convenient Food Sales; Drug and dollar stores cater to those shopping for ease, not low prices.(A)
June 3, 2005... Byline: DONNA HOWELL A new cold war is pitting supermarkets against corner shops. Drugstores, convenience marts and neighborhood dollar stores are using display coolers stocked with sandwiches, milk, eggs and other fresh items to draw...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
June 3, 2005... Late-Day Boost Helps Lift Stocks 1 The Nasdaq rose 0.5%, the S&P 500 0.2%, the small-cap S&P 600 0.3%, the Dow less than 0.1% as they all closed near their intraday highs. Volume ended about even with Wednesday. Several retailers took off...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... CONSUMER Judge nicks Gillette ads' claims A federal judge in Conn. agreed with Schick Wilkinson Sword, the main razor competitor to Gillette, that Gillette's ads for its M3Power razor are "unsubstantiated and inaccurate." The ads...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... TECHNOLOGY Apple proposes iPod settlement Apple Computer will give iPod owners a $50 credit if they had battery problems with portable music players bought before May '04, under a proposed settlement. Apple's the target of a...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... GAMING Wynn Las Vegas starts strong Wynn Resorts said that revenue for its $2.7 bil resort has beat expectations, but stressed that it'll be several months before "operating efficiencies will emerge." The casino took in $63.4 mil in...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... MARKETS Chicago Merc to hike trading fees For the 1st time since 2000, the largest U.S. futures exchange will increase trading fees for members across all products starting Aug. 1. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange also reported...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... Factory orders rise 0.9% in April New orders for planes and cars rose, but some electronics and non-durables fell, the Commerce Dept. said. Economists had forecast a 1% gain. Factory orders ex transportation fell 0.2%. Nondefense capital...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... FINANCIAL Citigroup to buy Federated cards The banking company will buy the credit card portfolios of Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores, with combined receivables of $6.6 bil, after the department store chains...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... Woodward: Felt reluctant source The Washington Post reporter said Mark Felt, the No. 2 man at the FBI in the early 1970s, was deeply conflicted over whether he was doing the right thing by, as Deep Throat, secretly helping reporters unearth...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... New talks on EU charter ahead French President Jacques Chirac will hold talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin Saturday about the crisis surrounding the EU Constitution. The two leaders will consider options after the...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... Banks step up online security Pennsylvania-based Stonebridge Bank and Texas-based American Bank are incorporating RSA Security's "strong authentication" tokens on their Web sites. The tokens generate a new 6-digit password every 60...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
June 3, 2005... ** The effects of toxic chemicals may be passed down through 4 generations, Science reports. When the 1st generation of male rats was exposed to endocrine-disrupting pesticides, the resulting fertility problems were still turning up among...

BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE Integrity: Your Collateral.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
June 3, 2005... Byline: Steve Watkins 10 Karl Eller built billboard empires twice, was president of Columbia Pictures and grew a convenience store chain into a giant. Without his focus on integrity throughout his career, he's sure none of it would...

Better Living Through Chemistry; Innovate: Bullion cubes, fertilizer and aspirin? Credit Justus von Liebig.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
June 3, 2005... Byline: LAURA MANDARO In 1862, German chemist Justus von Liebig (1803-73) heard a bizarre story. In Brazil and Uruguay, overexpansion of beef-salting plants had caused a severe drop in cattle prices. Factories were slaughtering...

EBay's Tactics With Maturing Internet: Shop Because Auction Sales Will Drop; Made A String Of Acquisitions; Shopping.com deal shows online auction king aiming to depend less on auctions.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 3, 2005... Byline: PETE BARLAS EBay is shopping for growth. EBay's announcement late Wednesday that it plans to buy Shopping.com is part of its long-term strategy to build revenue in other areas as growth in its core auction business starts to...

Sun Looking To Turn Its Cash Into Growth With StorageTek Buy; Plans $4.1 Billion Acquisition; But critics say StorageTek's mature tape drive business won't do much to help Sun.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 3, 2005... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN Apparently "S" also stands for storage. Sun Microsystems' turnaround effort -- and its new rebranding campaign, based on a swooping S emblem -- got a boost Thursday with a $4.1 billion cash buyout of Storage...

WildBlue Set To Bring Net To Hinterlands.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
June 3, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE WildBlue took flight on Thursday. The privately held startup is launching a satellite Internet service that targets rural areas that have little or no access to the more conventional broadband service offered...

COMPUTER PROGRAMS & SYSTEMS INC. Mobile, Alabama; Software Firm Sees Big Sales Growth With Small Hospital Operators.(THE NEW AMERICA)
June 3, 2005... Byline: MARILYN ALVA It started with a bill: the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. The bill meant small community hospitals would be eligible to get higher levels of Medicare reimbursement. It was enough to give many small...

Montag's Ron Canakaris Sees Market Swinging To Growth.(SERIES: MUTUAL FUND MONTHLY)(IBD SPECIAL REPORT)(FUND MANAGER Q & A)
June 3, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Ronald Canakaris started managing money amid a bear market. That was in the early 1970s, just as the so-called Nifty Fifty bubble was beginning. Prices for top blue chips skyrocketed. By 1973, they caved....

Growth Led The Charge In May, Fueled By Fall In Long Rates.(SERIES: MUTUAL FUND MONTHLY)(IBD SPECIAL REPORT)
June 3, 2005... Byline: KEN HOOVER U.S. stock mutual funds pulled out of a correction in May to post solid gains, giving hope to fund managers and their shareholders that the worst of 2005 is behind them. Funds using all styles and market caps saw...

How To Minimize An Audit By IRS Of Your Small Biz.(SERIES: MUTUAL FUND MONTHLY)(IBD SPECIAL REPORT)(TAXES)
June 3, 2005... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF If you're self-employed or a small-business owner, the IRS wants to look closer at your tax return. The agency plans to examine 30,000 more such returns, Commissioner Mark Everson told Congress last year. That will...

Latin America Led Other Regions, While Japan Bucked The Uptrend; Rebound dollar put crimp in world equity market's performance during May.(SERIES: MUTUAL FUND MONTHLY)(IBD SPECIAL REPORT)
June 3, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Rallies in U.S. stocks spread across the globe in May. But a surging greenback muted those gains for investors back in the States. As a result, the average world stock fund returned 1.02% in May as the U.S....

Tech Funds Rallied 9.13% In May To Lead Sectors; Telecom also rebounded; easing rate fears pushed real estate funds higher.(SERIES: MUTUAL FUND MONTHLY)(IBD SPECIAL REPORT)
June 3, 2005... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF May was merry as every sector gained ground. Science-technology funds led the surge, gaining 9.13%, according to Lipper. Tech's rally was fueled by mixed economic news. That encouraged investors to think the...