Investor's Business Daily articles from November 2001

Investor's Business Daily archives from November 2001

Some Hot Stocks Etch High Handles.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
November 30, 2001... Byline: JONAH KERI In a market loaded with stocks that shoot straight up from the bottom of their bases, IBD suggests that you demand better. Many of these have crashed. So insist on sound cup-with-handle bases, capped by strong...

Record Durables Surge Of 12.8% In Oct. Seen As Merely A Snapback Big Defense, Transport Rise Most areas remain weak as other orders fall 7.2%; year over year off 8.9%.(A)
November 30, 2001... Byline: ANTONIO A. PRADO Orders for durable goods surged a record 12.8% in October, the Commerce Department said. But don't assume the economy is nearly out of the woods yet. At first glance, the record monthly gain suggests an...

How Far Out Should You Plan? Three Years Seems About Right But technological shifts make even that difficult, so flexibility counts a lot.(A)(MANAGING THE SUCCESSFUL COMPANY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: DONNA HOWELL When thinking about its night vision goggles and other military goods, ITT Industries plans far ahead. That works in defense. But the White Plains, N.Y., firm looks just three years out for the other 70% of its...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
November 30, 2001... Defense Boosts Durables Orders 1Oct. durables goods orders soared a record 12.8% from Sept. But the gains don't clearly point to a rebound. War demand led to a 206.3% surge in defense orders. Ex-defense orders rose 5.6%. Aircraft orders...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... STARBUCKS' same-store sales grew just 1% in Nov., its fourth straight month at its slowest pace as a public firm. Total sales swelled 20% to $237 mil. APPLEBEE'S said Nov. same-restaurant sales rose 1.8%. Total sales jumped 3.6%. ...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... MEDIA EchoStar-DirecTV satellite deal opposed by TV, radio stations The National Association of Broadcasters, a lobby group, said the merger of EchoStar and Hughes Electronics would create the world's largest monopoly in TV...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... MARKETS Archipelago, REDIBook to merge The private alternative stock-trading platforms will create the No. 1 electronic communications network by trading volume. Terms weren't given. Archipelago CEO Gerald Putnam will lead the new...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... FINANCE IPO case against CSFB dropped Credit Suisse's investment banking arm Credit Suisse First Boston escaped an embarrassing and potentially costly U.S. criminal probe into how it placed IPOs. But it could still face civil suits...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... Help-wanted ads at 19-year low The Conference Board's help-wanted index, a gauge of job advertising in print media, fell to 46 in Oct. That compares with 52 in Sept. and 78 in Oct. '00. Rising joblessness has hurt consumer spending,...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... European jet maker Airbus will open an aircraft design shop in Wichita, Kan., in early '02, hiring 60 engineers. Rival Boeing, Raytheon and others are shedding aerospace jobs there. Delta Air Lines will expand a code-sharing pact with Air...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... Talks to kick-start stimulus open After weeks of stalemate, Democrats and Republicans began talks on legislation to try to jump-start the economy via tax cuts and assistance to the jobless. House leaders have suggested six negotiators --...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... U.N. approves Iraq aid program The Security Council unanimously extended the U.N. aid program in Iraq. It sets the stage for an overhaul of U.N. sanctions against Iraq next year. U.S. and Russia drafted the resolution. Under the...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... U.S. teens have highest birthrate The U.S. birthrate of 49 per 1,000 women ages 15-19 is off 20% from '90. But that's still twice as high as in Britain and Canada, and five times as high as Sweden and France. U.S. teens had the lowest...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
November 30, 2001... The rate of syphilis infection in the U.S. fell to an all-time low in '00, boosting hopes that it could be eliminated, the CDC said. Teenage girls are more likely to use multiple online personas than other groups are, UCLA found. ...

Suspect In Abortion Clinic Hoax.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 30, 2001... Clayton Lee Waagner, one of the FBI's most-wanted fugitives, is a suspect in a string of anthrax hoax letters sent to abortion clinics, Attorney General John Ashcroft (left) said. The FBI considers Waagner "extremely dangerous. He has...

Police In Italy Raid Islamic Centers.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 30, 2001... Authorities raided several Islamic centers overnight in northern Italy and arrested two people accused of recruiting fighters for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. Police said a third man already detained in Milan, Abdelhalim Hafed Remadna...

U.S. Apt To Take Fewer Refugees.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 30, 2001... The U.S., the world's largest resettler of refugees, is likely to slash the number it accepts next year by tens of thousands, due to new security procedures. President Bush last week signed a presidential determination to accept a maximum of...

Ex-Arms Inspector Says Iraq Flip-Flop Sends Bad Message Emboldening Saddam? David Kay would focus on al-Qaida, but believes we'll have to take him on.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)
November 30, 2001... Byline: PETER BENESH This week, the Bush administration warned Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein not to produce weapons of mass destruction -- or else. Bush said Saddam must let back in weapons inspectors. Otherwise, Bush said, "he'll find...

Field At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
November 30, 2001... Field At A Glance Born: 1819, Stockbridge, Mass. Died: 1892, New York City Education: Self-taught Achievements: Started paper-retailing firm, on which he built a fortune. Got exclusive use of Newfoundland as a...

B.K.S. Iyengar Used Yoga To Gain Health Practice Makes Perfect: His relentless dedication made the ancient art popular in the Western world.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
November 30, 2001... Byline: SONJA CARBERRY As a child, B.K.S. Iyengar fought illness constantly. Few expected the sickly child, plagued with malaria, typhoid fever and tuberculosis, to reach adulthood. But Iyengar had a steely sense of resolve. And he...

BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD The Persistent Survive.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
November 30, 2001... Byline: Cord Cooper 5 The first law of survival in business? Never underestimate a competitor that's larger than you. Case in point: Digital Equipment Corp. It underestimated IBM, and gradually went from second place in the computer...

Cyrus Field Linked Continents Focus On Details: Trans-Atlantic cable let nations reach out and touch someone.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
November 30, 2001... Byline: NANCY GONDO Cyrus West Field's brother Timothy went to the Gulf of Mexico in 1836 and didn't return. Field never learned what happened to him. But he knew that a good communication system could've helped him find out. ...

TECHBITS.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: Mike Angell and Reinhardt Krause How Well Does Your ISP Work? A bunch of start-up firms are betting that businesses want to know how well their Internet service provider works. Venture capitalists have plunked down $130...

Shifting From Frills To Safety Airline video services upgraded to handle security on flights.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: DONNA HOWELL Companies that keep air travelers from getting bored now aim to protect pilots from much more than mere boredom. The $1.9 billion in-flight entertainment industry is eyeing security aloft as a new market. The...

Shareholder Group Fighting With AT&T Over AtHome's Fate Court Makes Decision Friday AT&T looks to buy assets of AtHome, but group aims to keep firm in business.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: PETE BARLAS Will the lights go out at AtHome Corp.? That's the question a federal bankruptcy court in San Francisco is expected to answer on Friday. During a scheduled hearing, the court will decide whether AtHome should...

XO Makes Bailout Deal With Mexico's Telmex; McCaw To Lose Control XO Would Get $800 Million Pact would split company between telecom firm and buyout firm Forstmann Little.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Mexican mogul Carlos Slim Helu Thursday helped bail out XO Communications Inc. in a deal that would end Craig McCaw's control over the start-up he founded. Telmex, Mexico's phone monopoly that Slim runs, has...

Turning Your PC Into A Stress-Free Zone Software For Relaxation Enjoy the sounds of wind chimes, rain, crickets or chirping birds as you work.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(COMPUTERS MADE PLAIN)
November 30, 2001... Byline: NANCY GONDO Sitting in front of your personal computer now can be a source of relaxation rather than stress. A host of relaxation software -- ranging from a waterfall screen saver complete with flying parrots to software that...

Microsoft Beats The Drum Loudly For Tablet PC Should Hit Market Next Year Legal pad-sized device is next-generation notebook, say Microsoft and partners.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ The Tablet PC concept being pushed by Microsoft Corp. will lead to either a great leap forward in mobile computing or a pricey gadget with limited appeal. Analysts who have seen prototypes of the new personal...

Nokia To Share Its Core Software Makes Move To Aid Wireless No. 1 maker of handsets wants to speed transition to next-generation services.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
November 30, 2001... Byline: SARAH Z. SLEEPER The fearless Finns made a bold move at this month's Comdex trade show. Executives at Nokia Corp. revealed that the company had formed a new unit. No matter that the telecom sector is in a slump. Nokia, the...

Online Publications Seeing Red Most Are Losing Money Salon, Slate face a struggle to convert their readership into profit-making venture.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: GARY M. STERN When online publications Slate.com and Salon.com were launched a few years ago, they were expected to usher in a media revolution that could lead to the demise of traditional magazines and newspapers. Unlike...

Fujitsu To Close U.S. Chip Plant Move Will Idle 670 Workers.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Fujitsu said Thursday it will close its semiconductor plant in Oregon and lay off 670 workers. The plant made flash memory chips. The Japanese electronics company blamed a declining computer chip...

NEW AMERICA REVISITED Buy Moves This Company To Head Of The Class.(THE NEW AMERICA)(NEW AMERICA REVISITED)
November 30, 2001... Byline: Adelia Cellini Linecker and Robin M. Grugal School Specialty Inc. (Oct. 11) on Nov. 14 announced plans to pay $152 million for Premier School Agendas, a supplier of student academic planners . The acquisition will add nearly...

CANTEL MEDICAL CORP. Clifton, New Jersey With Recent Purchase, Supplier Hits New Level.(THE NEW AMERICA)
November 30, 2001... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE Fighting infection has been profitable for Cantel Medical Corp. The firm makes and sells endoscopes, the tiny metal tubes mounted with cameras used in colonoscopies or to assist in surgery. A recent...

U.S. PHYSICAL THERAPY INC. Houston, Texas Medical Firm Has Antidote To Slow Economy.(THE NEW AMERICA)
November 30, 2001... Byline: AMY REEVES As Roy Spradlin puts it: "People still get hurt." That's not exactly a happy notion, but it's accurate. And because people still get hurt, Spradlin's firm, U.S. Physical Therapy Inc., has managed steady financial...

KEY FUND HOLDINGS.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
November 30, 2001... Key Fund Holdings / McKesson was a top new buy of Van Kampen Emerging Growth Fund in its latest reporting period. Earnings rose 19% and 23% in the past two quarters. The stock has been trading in a 17-week base that began on July 31, when it...

Stock Rally Filled Funds' Sails In Nov. Big Caps Gained Momentum Upswing is in 2nd month, more sectors join trend, but is a correction due?(MUTUAL FUNDS)
November 30, 2001... Byline: CLAIRE MENCKE It sure looks like a stock market rally out there, according to preliminary November fund returns data from Lipper Inc. Leading the performance list in the latest month through Tuesday were many fund categories...

Investors Resume Purchases Of Stock Funds Put In Modest $758 Million Market's two-month rally helps lift confidence as bond fund inflow rockets.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
November 30, 2001... Byline: DAN MOREAU Mutual fund investors appear to have given thanks in November for the market's rebound by keeping estimated cash flow in positive territory at several big fund families. Meanwhile, in a broader look at how funds...

Justice On Hold.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
November 30, 2001... Judges: Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy is blocking President Bush's picks for judges. Why? He seems to distrust the rule of law. His claims notwithstanding, Leahy has played the rankest politics with Bush's judicial nominations....

Ill-Timed Requests.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
November 30, 2001... Terrorism: President Bush didn't stop the war for Ramadan, and he won't stop it for the Olympics. He's 2-2 in batting away such dim requests. It is hard to believe the International Olympic Committee even made the request. But then, this...

Seeing The Light.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
November 30, 2001... Taxes: Conservatives are expected to support tax cuts at all times. But when support for them comes from unlikely places, it's time to take note. Few issues create partisan conflict as effectively as tax cuts. Statists see them as a...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)
November 30, 2001... Enough Bleeding Hearts I've subscribed to your newspaper now for quite some time, and have found it to be a great paper as far as stock information is concerned. Your Internet page and tools are great. However, I was upset when I saw...

Payroll Tax Holiday Popular, But Will It Stimulate Growth?(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(NATIONAL ISSUE)
November 30, 2001... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS Eager to break a stalemate over the economic stimulus package, Senate Republicans are embracing a proposal for a one-month payroll tax holiday. The plan -- first proposed by Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. -- would...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Blue Chips End Slide, But Trade Cools Off.(MAKING MONEY)
November 30, 2001... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG A strong rally in the final half-hour boosted the major averages Thursday, but volume thinned. The Dow gained 1.2% and closed at its high. The S&P 500 moved up 1%. Rex Stores leapt out of a 20-month trading...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Medicals and Techs Push Nasdaq Higher.(B)
November 30, 2001... Byline: MONIKA TJIA Techs lifted the Nasdaq composite on Thursday. The index closed at its session high, gaining 2.4% on heavier volume. Acambis PLC notched a new high, surging 7.30 to 45 on very heavy trade. The British biotech firm...

CHART WATCH Clinical Lab Hits High, But Quickly Falls Back.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
November 30, 2001... Byline: Monika Tjia Dynacare ventured to a new high but quickly turned around on triple typical trade. The lightly traded stock averages 105,000 shares daily. It debuted Nov. 17 at $10. The clinical laboratory firm tests body fluids,...

Very Short Handles Bear High Risks.(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
November 29, 2001... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG Yes, the market sure is more volatile nowadays. In particular, small-cap stocks swing much faster. So as time frames shrink, should we focus on stocks that form shorter cup-with-handle bases? Will we have to...

Bush Prods Congress To OK Stimulus Effort, Sees Big Jobs Benefit Boost To GDP Put At 0.5% Economic adviser predicts 300,000 additional jobs if tax cuts are accelerated.(A)
November 29, 2001... Byline: JOSEPH GUINTO President Bush on Wednesday again prodded the Senate to pass a stimulus measure, while his top economist promised such a plan would give the economy a boost. Glen Hubbard, chairman of the White House's Council...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
November 29, 2001... Bush Prods Congress On Stimulus 1President Bush pushed the Senate to pass a stimulus plan, saying each passing day is a missed chance to get the U.S. growing again. His comments followed talks with congressional leaders. Also, Glen...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... MICHAELS STORES' Q3 net rose 27% to 28 cents, a penny over views. The arts and crafts retailer's sales grew 16% to $612 mil. MICROSEMI earned 17 cents, up 13% and a cent over views. Q4 sales slid 9% to $57 mil. It sees Q1 sales up to 2%...

BUSINESS NEWS.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... MEDIA NYT seeks Boston Red Sox stake The New York Times joined an investor group aiming to buy the baseball team and New England Sports Network cable channel. By taking a minority stake, the NYT hopes to boost ad volume in its Boston...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... MEDICAL Pharmacia to spin off Monsanto The drug maker will dump its 85% stake in farm unit Monsanto in 2nd half '02 to focus on core business. Pharmacia bought Monsanto for its G.D. Searle drug unit, which made the arthritis drug...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... TECHNOLOGY IBM cuts 1,000 chipmaking jobs Big Blue will trim 4.6% of microelectronics staff due to weak demand. IBM's chip unit hasn't shed jobs since the early '90s. IBM will cut 180 more jobs at a storage technology plant in...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... TRANSPORTATION GM to cut Euro white-collar staff It'll ax 1,500 salaried jobs in '02 on top of a 10% European white-collar cut this year. The automaker is trying to turn around its money-losing European business. GM has said it'll...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... OPEC reverses price-war threat OPEC Secretary-General Ali Rodriguez said the cartel won't hike output to pressure nonmembers into cutting. "Zero price war, zero pressure on other oil-producing nation," he said. That contradicts remarks...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... Continental Air fell 2.40, or 10%, to 21.70 after selling 6.74 mil shares at $22.50 each. Endocare said all nine men in a study for its early-stage prostate cancer treatment were disease-free, and seven were sexually potent. Its shares...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... Bush offers farm bill parameters While a Democratic-backed overhaul of farm subsidies waits in the Senate, President Bush called for "generous but affordable" farm legislation. It should adhere to budget limits and give farmers a safety...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
November 29, 2001... Hostages freed in Philippines Muslim rebels freed 89 hostages, most still in the nightclothes they were wearing when seized, in a deal with the government to end the two-day standoff. The rebels loyal to a renegade local governor were...

Chile Letter May Be Tied To N.Y.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 29, 2001... A suspected anthrax letter sent to Chile bore a Swiss postmark, but may have been mailed from New York, Swiss police said. A Chilean pediatrician received the letter with a Swiss postmark and a Florida return address two weeks ago in what may...

Stampede Kills Afghan Refugees.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 29, 2001... Desperate Afghans who fled drought and a harsh winter in the mountains stampeded outside a displaced persons camp in Afghanistan, leaving four people dead. Among the dead was a girl of about 4. The stampede occurred when refugees outside the...

U.N. Sees Hope For Afghan Farms.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 29, 2001... Afghanistan can be brought back almost to full agricultural production in three years if a settlement can be reached soon to set up a stable government, a top U.N. food official said. Some 60% of the country's 21 million people were...

Spain Offers Bush Military Help.(WORLD WAR ON TERRORISM)(NEWS BRIEFS)
November 29, 2001... Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar promised President Bush Spain would commit military forces to the U.S.-led war on terrorism if needed. Bush and Aznar held an amicable meeting at the White House, telling reporters the U.S. and Spain...

Boehm At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
November 29, 2001... Boehm At A Glance Born: 1924 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Education: Graduated from high school. Attended college. Achievements: Created first U.S. Navy SEAL team and training program. Established the first U.S. Navy...

Inventor Carl Zeiss Focused On Perfection Innovate To Succeed: Devoted to making microscopes, his drive shed new light on optical solutions.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
November 29, 2001... Byline: KATHRYN LINDERMAN Carl Zeiss wanted one thing: perfection. From a small, one-man workshop in Jena, Germany, Zeiss (1816-88) created Carl Zeiss Inc., what is now a 150-year-old international company that produces lenses,...

NEVER STOP LEARNING A Formula For Learning.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
November 29, 2001... Byline: Linda Stockman-Vines 4 To give your lifelong learning effort structure, try a five-step development formula that helps you decide what subjects to tackle, set goals and internalize your learning. Designed by Mary Dee Hicks...

Roy Boehm Put Mission First Focus On Goals: Single-minded determination built world's elite fighting force.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
November 29, 2001... Byline: KEITH RAYVE Lt. (j.g.) Roy Boehm was on a mission: Create the world's toughest commando force. Failure wasn't an option. "I was ordered to come up with a group of commandos that would go anyplace, anytime, anywhere and do...

TECHBITS.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 29, 2001... Byline: Sarah Z. Sleeper 3G: Nice Voice, And A Pretty Face For years, cell phones that offer features such as video and Web browsing have been just on the horizon, according to optimists. But implementation has proved difficult....

Huge Tech Write-Offs Raising Questions The idea is to ignore the past, but many write-offs speak to a firm's ongoing issues.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 29, 2001... Byline: JED GRAHAM When JDS Uniphase Corp. reported a $50 billion loss for its fiscal year in July, major media outlets called the shortfall "staggering" and "the largest in corporate history." Analysts saw it differently. Through...

Makers Of Car Technology Urged To Adopt Open Standards Big Potential Revenue Source Telematics -- auto software and hardware -- could be key to safety, navigation.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 29, 2001... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER Next time you need driving directions, you might not have to pull over and fumble with a map. If your car is equipped with on-board hardware and software -- also known as telematics -- you can get directions by...

Online Spending Keeps Rising While Economy Shrinks, Reports Show Net Retailers See 8.3% Gain Even after many dot-coms fail, more people go online to shop, bid on auctions.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 29, 2001... Byline: ANTONIO A. PRADO A faint bullish sign finally may have emerged for the tech economy. While just about everything else fell in the third quarter, e-commerce sales rose. Internet retailers logged $7.47 billion in sales from...

Firms Want To Net Savings From Networks Users Focus On Management Plenty of work remaining to make data networks more efficient and secure.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
November 29, 2001... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Network technology is early in its evolution, says Joseph Beninati. If it were TV, it would still be using rabbit ears and aluminum foil to bring in a picture. Beninati's firm, Greenwich Technology Partners, aims...

Believe It: VCs Continue Funding Good Start-Ups No Get-Rich-Quick Schemes Investors have shifted their focus to later-stage firms with proven technologies.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
November 29, 2001... Byline: ANTONIO A. PRADO Investment banker John Grant at RBC Capital Markets says that even in today's shaky economy, there's plenty of venture and private equity money out there for good start-ups. But don't try to get rich quickly,...

Fed Aims For Web "Transparency' Giving Public More Info Transcripts of Greenspan speeches among items on Federal Reserve Web site.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(COMPUTERS MADE PLAIN)
November 29, 2001... Byline: SARAH Z. SLEEPER When Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan speaks, people listen. Unfortunately, if they watch him on TV broadcasts, they hear only about five seconds of a much longer speech. It's tough to get a...

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC. New York, New York Rate Hikes Put Insurance Giant In Driver's Seat.(THE NEW AMERICA)
November 29, 2001... Byline: CHRIS WOODARD The destruction of the World Trade Center and damage to the Pentagon are expected to cost the insurance industry as much as $70 billion. But while the catastrophe might mean ruin for some insurers, American...

HENRY SCHEIN INC. Melville, New York New Added-Value Focus Helps Supplier Rebound.(THE NEW AMERICA)
November 29, 2001... Byline: GLORIA LAU Medical and dental supply giant Henry Schein Inc. is orchestrating a coming-out party of sorts. After trying to stay out of the media limelight during a struggle to absorb dozens of acquisitions in the late 1990s,...

DOLLAR TREE STORES INC. Chesapeake, Virginia After "A Zillion' Strong Quarters, A Slowdown Slow Economy Hits Retailer Earnings decline after long growth run, though next year looks brighter.(THE NEW AMERICA)
November 29, 2001... Byline: AMY REEVES Dollar Tree Stores Inc. is finding out that money doesn't grow on trees. For some time, this obvious fact seemed to escape the discount retail chain. From 1993 to 2000, its sales grew from $168 million to nearly...

Stimulus Politics.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
November 29, 2001... Economy: The Democrats' stimulus plan is not about homeland security, it's home state security. They're focused on elections, not the economy. Yes, they say, they care about those people who have been laid off in this recession. Yes,...

Washington's Bloat.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
November 29, 2001... Budget: The Senate has turned a stimulus package into a spending bill. It's as if lawmakers weren't already blowing billions of dollars. The depths of Congress' malfeasance with taxpayers' money can hardly be described. Groups such as...

Why Hate Harry? Religious Critics Of Potter Craze Look Like Cranks.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(BRAIN TRUST)
November 29, 2001... Byline: MICHAEL MEDVED In responding to the Harry Potter phenomenon, America's religious conservatives have displayed some of the most admirable and embarrassing elements of their powerful movement. On the one hand, it takes courage...

How Far Should The Gov't Go To Keep U.S. Smallpox-Free?(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(PERSPECTIVE)
November 29, 2001... Byline: BETSY MCCAUGHEY President Bush's executive order to try terrorists in military tribunals is getting a lot of attention. Some say it endangers the rights of the accused. Others defend it as a legitimate emergency measure. ...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Enron's Debacle Tips Market Lower Again.(MAKING MONEY)
November 29, 2001... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The Dow posted its second straight 1% decline Wednesday, this time losing 1.6%. The S&P 500 sank 1.8% and ended a hair above its low. Volume on the NYSE grew, mainly due to the fire sale of Enron shares. ...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Stocks Off, Investors Toss Techs.(B)
November 29, 2001... Byline: MONIKA TJIA Investors tossed techs Wednesday as the Nasdaq composite fell for a second day. The index closed at its session low, losing 2.5% on lighter trade. Dynacq International reversed, closing down 3 to 21.90 as volume...

CHART WATCH Game Maker Works On Right Side Of Base.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
November 29, 2001... Byline: Monika Tjia After breaking out of a 14-month base in February, THQ Inc. rose 126% in five months. The stock is now working on the right side of a five-month base. It's 15% off its high. The Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based firm...

KEY FUND HOLDINGS.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
November 29, 2001... Key Fund Holdings / Sonic and Mettler-Toledo were top holdings in Delaware Trend Fund in the latest reporting period. Sonic's earnings rose 24% and 23% in the past two quarters. Shares are trading in a base that began Nov. 5, when the stock...

NYSE Set To Open Its Books But It'll Levy A Big Fee Big Board is compelled to change or risk falling behind fast-moving ECNs.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
November 29, 2001... Byline: KEN HOOVER Last year, the New York Stock Exchange promised to give up one of its most cherished secrets: the specialists' limit order books. The plan called for putting on the exchange's Web site the book for each of nearly...