Investor's Business Daily articles from September 2002

Investor's Business Daily archives from September 2002

Market Can Turn In Four Days.(SERIES: Reading The Market)(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 30, 2002... Byline: JONAH KERI Reading The Market: Thirteenth In A Series The market's fighting a long, nasty slump. Interest rates are low, helping mortgage lenders but doing little to boost stocks. President Bush is lining up American...

Top Finance Ministers Expecting A Recovery, But Fear War's Effect; Noisy Protests Greet Meet; Wobbly U.S., 9-11 fallout and weak equity markets dominate weekend's talks.(A)
September 30, 2002... Byline: IBD STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Finance chiefs from the world's richest nations, meeting in Washington, expressed concern about the impact a war with Iraq could have on the global economy -- but said the economy is likely to do better...

Fundamentals Come Through Bear Or No, New Study Shows; IBD Style Tops Ratings.(A)
September 30, 2002... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG IBD's CAN SLIM approach to buying and selling stocks delivered the best returns among growth strategies even in the vicious bear market of the last two years, according to a new study by a major investor group....

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 30, 2002... Q2's GDP Stronger Than Thought 1GDP rose 1.3%. That was a tad faster than the 1.1% originally estimated, but still well below Q1's robust 5%. The Q2 revisions were due to larger than expected growth in exports and sales of computer gear...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... BASIC INDUSTRIES Alcoa raises Elkem stake to 46% The world's largest aluminum producer bought another 5.8% of the Norwegian metals group for $23.35 a share, fanning rumors Alcoa may buy rival Orkla. It already owned 40% of Elkem....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... MEDICAL Wyeth lowers '02 profit forecast Shares fell 18% as the drug maker cut estimates to $2.22-$2.32 a share excluding fen-phen litigation costs vs. views of $2.49 and $2.18 last year. It cited a slowdown in hormone-replacement...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... TELECOM FCC aims to raise telecom hopes The agency will hold a special hearing Oct. 7 to hear ideas from economists, Wall St. and telecom execs on how to revive the industry. The sector is suffering from lower spending, excess...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... Economy weakened this month The Economic Cycle Research Institute's weekly gauge of economic activity slipped to 119 in the week ended Sept. 20 from 119.3 a week earlier. The growth rate, which smooths out weekly swings, dropped 0.1%...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... Ad agency WPP won an $18 mil contract with Gillette to place $600 mil worth of advertising. BellSouth launched long distance in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and the Carolinas. American Electric Power got the OK from federal energy...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... Leno can joke, election panel says Jay Leno and David Letterman still can joke about federal political candidates in the weeks before an election, the Federal Election Commission ruled. It said comments like theirs aren't covered by the...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 30, 2002... Malaysia busts alleged terror cell Police arrested an ex-university lecturer on suspicion of leading a Southeast Asian Islamic terror group, and said they were hunting eight other suspects. The nine men allegedly took military training in...

HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING; Outthink The Competition.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 30, 2002... Byline: Cord Cooper 1 Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. and microprocessor giant Intel Corp. own their markets because they outthink their competitors. They cannibalize their products before rivals can make headway. Their strategy...

Willis At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 30, 2002... Willis At A Glance Born: 1941 Education: B.S. in chemistry from Oregon State University in 1963. Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Purdue University in 1970. Achievements: ** Considered a founder of the biotech industry....

His Efforts Bridged Research Gap; Create Your Niche: Barry Willis mixed the best of two worlds to build new industry.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 30, 2002... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Barry Willis wanted to break the boundaries of science. So he started tinkering. The result? As a key scientist at Hewlett-Packard Co. and its spinoff, Agilent Technologies Inc., he helped bridge the gap...

Dell Slashes Prices And Still Turns A Profit; Credit It To Planning; The computer maker's strategic planning gives it a leg up in tough times;.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(MANAGING A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: GLORIA LAU At Dell Computer Corp., Chief Financial Officer Jim Schneider is enjoying the results of smart strategic planning. Worldwide sales growth in PCs peaked at 47.2% in 1999 and came in at 26.6% in 2000. Last year,...

Writer Offers Tips To Thwart Cyberstalking.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: MICHAEL KREY When free-lance writer Jayne Hitchcock saw the solicitation from the "literary agent" on a newsgroup message board, it didn't seem quite right. But she had written several books, so she followed up. A literary agent...

Showbiz Is Slow Biz: Hollywood Still Lags In Internet Content; Concerns Over Piracy; At Digital Hollywood gathering, panelists said industry must do more.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Hollywood has it. Consumers want it. But much work must be done before the two connect. "It" is entertainment content on the Web. Consumers have shown they will pay to get music, video and similar content over...

Online Retailers Should Be Enjoying Some Holiday Cheer This Christmas; Sales Forecast Is Looking Jolly; Despite a down economy, more people say they'll buy Christmas gifts online.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: PETE BARLAS The Grinch of a sour economy won't stop the growth of consumer spending online this Yuletide season. Purchases on the Internet during the Christmas shopping season will rise as much as 27% or as little as 17% vs....

Lottery Technology Seen As Safe Bet; Bucking Bad Economy; Developer of equipment and software for tickets sees lots of opportunities.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: NICK TURNER Making a fortune on the Net isn't too common these days. It seems as if the lottery is the only get-rich-quick scheme left. For one tech company, that's just fine. Scientific Games Corp. makes equipment and...

HR Role Becoming More Strategic; Human Resources Changing; Managers use networks, online learning to keep and attract top workers.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: J. BONASIA Human resource managers should shed their image as paper-pushers in favor of a more strategic role for the companies they serve. So says Ed Jensen, a consultant with Accenture Ltd. who advises human resource teams....

GM Auto Process: From 60 (Months) To 18 In Six Years; Sees Productivity Gain; Carmaker's technology used to "remove paper' in vehicle development.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
September 30, 2002... Byline: MICHAEL KREY With some 300,000 employees worldwide, General Motors Corp.'s business processes can easily get caught up in the gears. It's the job of Chief Technology Officer Anthony Scott to see that the company fires on all...

BIOSITE INC. San Diego, California; Shift In Thinking Gives Test Maker A Boost; Focus Now Is On Prevention; Congestive heart failure should be detected early, and these guys can help.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 30, 2002... Byline: AMY REEVES Congestive heart failure is one of the modern world's sneaky killers. It comes about through a gradual weakening of the heart muscle, causing an imbalance in the pumping function and circulatory problems. It can...

AFTER MARKET Alcon Eyeballing New High Ground.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 30, 2002... Alcon debuted at 33 March 21. Its forged a 16-week base, capped by a four-week handle. Its nearing its pivot point of 38.80, 0.10 above the top of its handle. The maker of contact lenses has posted single-digit sales growth in seven of the...

SUPERIOR INDUSTRIES INT'L Van Nuys, Calif.; This Firm's On A Roll, Thanks To Car Market.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 30, 2002... Byline: ALAN R. ELLIOTT Automakers braced for a slowdown this year after recording record sales in 2001. They backed off production and slashed inventories. But the tailspin didn't come. U.S. auto sales between January and August...

KEY FUND HOLDINGS.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
September 30, 2002... Key Fund Holdings / AGCO was a top buy of PBHG Mid Cap Value Fund in the latest reporting period. The stock is climbing past resistance into new high territory. Earnings rose 127%, 800% and 160% the past three quarters. Analysts see net...

Stock Fund Outflow Slowed In August; $2.9 Bil Vs. $52.6 Bil; But major fund groups saw outflow heating up again during Sept.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
September 30, 2002... Byline: DAN MOREAU Investors shed their stock fund holdings in September at a sharply slower clip than July's record pace. But major fund groups indicated outflow picked up again in September. In August, the Investment Company...

Out Of Practice.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
September 30, 2002... Tort Law: Doing a little surgery of their own, 217 House members voted to limit lawsuits against doctors, hospitals and health plans. We wish the Senate were as keen on healing the legal liability system. We don't expect much from the...

Letting Leno Be Leno.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
September 30, 2002... Free Speech: A federal agency says late-night comedy isn't covered by the new campaign finance law. That's a relief -- but why did this issue even come up? First, the good news: Jay Leno and David Letterman won't have to run their jokes...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)
September 30, 2002... Both Sides Are The Same In an effort to get a better perspective on the issues, I have always prided myself on listening to both sides of the argument. After reading IBD editorials regarding the perceived shortsighted attitudes of...

Anti-U.S. Tone In Germany Puts Schroeder On Defensive.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(NATIONAL ISSUE)
September 30, 2002... Byline: PETER BENESH "Hello, Tony, old buddy. I was wondering. Could you set another plate at dinner? I'd like to pop in for a heart-to-heart." Gerhard Schroeder didn't say quite that. But the German chancellor did invite himself to...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE NYSE Stocks Suffer Fifth Week Of Losses.(MAKING MONEY)
September 30, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Big losses Friday marked the fifth straight down week for NYSE stocks. The Dow fell 3.7%, the S&P 500 3.2% as downgrades of GE and a profit warning by Philip Morris sank blue chips. Volume fell as the indexes held...

Video Game Retailer Sees Profit Growth.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 30, 2002... Byline: Craig Shaw GameStop tried to clear an 18-week cup-with-handle base Friday but pulled back below its pivot point of 22.09. Volume was above normal. A Barnes & Noble spinoff, the video game retailer went public in February....

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Lower Consumer Confidence Data Spike Nasdaq.(B)
September 30, 2002... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The Nasdaq fell 1.8% Friday, resulting in a fifth straight week of decline. Volume cooled. Trimeris stopped a three-day win streak, falling 1.73 to 44.08 on more than four times average volume. The stock is...

Online Course Provider Sees Higher Revenue.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 30, 2002... Byline: David Saito-Chung University of Phoenix Online is working on a four-month base since peaking at 35.11 in May, when the market began a steep slide. The stock went public at 7 a share in September 2000. The tracking stock of...

NO TIME, NO PROBLEM.(THE SMART INVESTOR)
September 30, 2002... In just 15 minutes a day, IBD keeps you on top of the market. Scan Internet & Technology and The New America for promising companies. Then turn to the NYSE and Nasdaq Where The Big Money's Flowing. Focus on the boldfaced market-leading...

Charts Take Emotions Out Of Picking Stocks.(THE SMART INVESTOR)(IBD INVESTOR PROFILE)
September 30, 2002... Byline: DAN MOREAU A rough ride in 2000-01 with a broker-advised account convinced Annette O'Connor to try to take charge of her investments. So far, it's worked well. "I was overloaded in tech stocks and never got any guidance,"...

Buying CACI Breakout Took Guts, Sharp Eye.(THE SMART INVESTOR)(WINNING WAYS)
September 30, 2002... Byline: KEN HOOVER It would have taken nerves of steel to buy CACI International when it broke out on Sept. 17, 2001. That was the day the stock market reopened in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack. The market was in full panic....

Take Extra Caution In A Wishy-Washy Market.(SERIES: Twelfth In A Series)(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 27, 2002... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG Reading The Market: Twelfth In A Series The market went up. The market went down. That's all you need to know to make sound investing decisions, right? Not exactly. Indeed, the right time to get...

Homes, Durables Point To Rebound, But Firms Stay Reluctant To Hire; Record August Home Sales; Factory orders still slow, but business investment moves higher yet again.(A)
September 27, 2002... Byline: IBD STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Fresh economic data out Thursday show the U.S. is continuing to climb out of its hole, but struggling to create jobs. Sales of new homes rose to a record high in August, while a report on durable...

Telecom Bubble To Pay Riches To Future Users; Issue Is When; Gift That Keeps Giving.(A)
September 27, 2002... Byline: JED GRAHAM It's been clear for a long time that investors who bought Level 3 Communications at $130 a share in early 2000 won't reap the spoils of the great Internet build-out. And for the past 2 1/2 years, anyone who sought...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 27, 2002... Hint Of Upturn In Durable Goods 1Aug. orders fell 0.6% after a revised 8.6% rise in July. That was much better than the 3% drop expected. Capital goods orders, which gauge business investment, rose. Durables would have risen 0.6% were...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... AOL might pull out of its Latin America operation if it can't find a way to make it profitable, the firm's CFO said. The service has lost users and ad money. CABLE DESIGN earned 5 cents a share in Q4, 4 cents shy of views. The high-speed...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... MARKETS Buffett sees market getting worse The world economy is paying the price for the dot-com "mass hallucination," the billionaire investor told the Times of London. "It's only in the rinse cycle that you find out how dirty the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... MEDICAL HMOs to face big doctor lawsuit A federal judge in Florida OK'd class status to 600,000 doctors accusing seven top HMOs of conspiring to lower costs by arbitrarily denying payments and cutting fees. The move will ease the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... DIVERSIFIED GE sees "more challenging' 2003 A day after backing Q3 profit targets, GE said its economically sensitive short-cycle businesses have "stalled." The conglomerate expects its long-cycle businesses also face pressure. GE...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... TELECOM GEAR Nortel, Redback cut Q3 targets Nortel said sales will fall 15% below Q2's $2.77 bil. The telecom gear firm had seen a 10% drop. It blamed weakness in the U.S. and Asia. Redback Networks plunged after forecasting Q3 sales...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... Fed fretted about changing bias Fed policy-makers worried in Aug. markets would misinterpret a shift in their outlook, minutes from the Aug. 13 meeting showed. Despite concerns it would be seen as a signal of a future interest rate cut,...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... Barrick Gold cut '02 views to 33-35 cents a share vs. analyst estimates of 44 cents, citing lower production, higher costs and slightly lower sales. Barrick fell 10.5%. Community Health is in talks to buy seven hospitals with 676...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... Homeland bill pressure is rising The White House and GOP lawmakers stepped up pressure on Democrats in the battle over worker rights in the Homeland Security Department, contending the Democrats' version eliminates powers presidents have...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... Hamas chief hurt in Israeli strike Israeli helicopters fired missiles into Gaza, wounding Mohammad Deif. Israel said he is Hamas' chief bomb maker. Two companions were killed. About two dozen people were injured. Three Israeli children...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... U.S. doctors grow pig teeth in rats They put seeded cells from young pigs' immature teeth in rats' intestines. Small tooth crowns formed within 30 weeks. Doctors hope to use dental stem cells to replace lost teeth with ones grown from...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2002... ** Less than 46% of U.S. teens said they'd had sex vs. 54% in '91, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. But too many are still at risk of venereal diseases and unwanted pregnancies. ** More than half of teens had sex for...

BE HONEST AND DEPENDABLE The Truth Hurts Less.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 27, 2002... Byline: ROBIN GRUGAL 10 No matter how you dress it up or dance around it, bad news is bad news. But the first instinct of messengers of bad news is to hide, which makes the outcome worse than the original problem. "In the vast...

Caldwell At A Glance.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 27, 2002... Caldwell At A Glance Born: 1920 in South Charleston, Ohio. Education: B.A. in economics from Muskingum College in Ohio in 1940. MBA from Harvard Business School in 1942. Achievements: ** Joined Ford Motor Co. in 1953 as a...

Give Yourself The Green Light Boldness Pays: Caldwell's tough action, long-term thinking put Ford back on track.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 27, 2002... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Philip Caldwell had his work cut out for him. In 1979, he became the newly appointed chief executive of Ford Motor Co. -- the first ever non-family member appointed to the post. What he walked into wasn't...

TECHBITS.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2002... Byline: Michael Krey Intel's Barrett Takes His Show On The Road -- First Stop, Jordan When you think of the world's technology hotbeds, Jordan might not spring to mind. But that Middle Eastern country is two years into an...

"Market Exuberance' One Factor In Failure Of Telecom Start-Ups; Study Says FCC Played A Role; Of 300 local phone firms existing three years ago, 70 remained by mid-'02.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2002... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Did federal regulators help put start-up phone companies on the road to bankruptcy with misguided or unclear policies? A study released by the Progress & Freedom Foundation says they did. Congress passed...

It's The Screens, Not The Sales, That Are Flat For Digital TVs; Plasma TV Still Pricey; Cheapest models cost about $5,000 now, but they're expected to drop.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2002... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Television has gone flat. Not the quality of the shows necessarily, but the box itself. One of the fastest-growing products in the consumer electronics industry today is plasma television. Prices are falling...

Liberty Media-Controlled OpenTV Goes On Buying Spree.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2002... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ The proposed merger of three companies that provide software and services for interactive TV could form a powerful player in that nascent business. Or it could be a desperate act of survival for a once-hyped...

HUB INTERNATIONAL LTD. Toronto, Canada; Insurance Price Hikes Good News To Broker.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 27, 2002... Byline: GLORIA LAU The price of risk is climbing. For companies that buy insurance, that's not exactly great news. In a sour economy, it's especially hard to hear. But the fact is, the prices of policies for property, casualty...

NEW CENTURY FINANCIAL CORP. Irvine, California; Refinancing Boom Gives Lender Record Gains.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 27, 2002... Byline: MARILYN MUCH In this shaky economy, few companies are sitting in the catbird seat. New Century Financial Corp. is among those that are. The firm lends to folks who don't have the prime credit ratings most standard lenders...

KEY FUND HOLDINGS.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
September 27, 2002... Key Fund Holdings / Hovnanian Enterprises was a top holding and KB Home a top new buy of CGM Realty Fund as of the latest reporting period. Hovnanian's earnings rose 71% and 101% the past two quarters. Analysts see net rising 86% this year...

Half Of U.S. Households Own Equities; Up During Bear Market; More own stock funds than individual stocks, ICI, SIA survey finds.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
September 27, 2002... Byline: DAN MOREAU Wind, rain, terrorist attacks, a bear market of historic size -- and Americans are still willing stock market investors, a survey done for the Investment Company Institute and the Securities Industry Association found....

The New Appeasers.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
September 27, 2002... Iraq: The president's new foreign policy buzzword is pre-emption -- get them before they get us. It's sensible, yet some oppose it. So what do they support? The opposite of pre-emption is appeasement. Not that you'll hear the term used....

Reform That Works.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)
September 27, 2002... Poverty: New Census data show that the 1996 welfare law has proved its worth. It now needs to be renewed without weakening the work ethic it promotes. The Census Bureau has announced that the poverty rate rose in the recession year of...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)
September 27, 2002... Make Fair Comparisons In "Poverty Rate Inches Higher" (A1, Wednesday), I think some clarification is needed. Precisely, you wrote that single male head of household median income fell from $43,332 in 2000 to $40,715 while median incomes...

Rating Wartime Leadership: Bush II Studies Predecessors.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(Q & A)
September 27, 2002... Byline: PETER BENESH As endorsements go, an author couldn't ask for more. In August, President Bush told The Associated Press he's reading a new book about politicians who inspired their nations in battle. The book, "Supreme Command:...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Indexes Gain Again On Upbeat Data, GM.(MAKING MONEY)
September 27, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Encouraging data on durable goods, jobless claims and home sales boosted NYSE stocks Thursday. The Dow rose 2% on a strong day for General Motors. The S&P 500 gained 1.8%. Volume declined. International Game...

Radio Programmer's RS Line Climbs Chart.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 27, 2002... Byline: Craig Shaw Westwood One jumped 5.3% Thursday on news of a $250 million stock buyback. It's shaping a 28-week base. Its Relative Strength line moved into new high ground this week, a bullish sign. The producer and distributor...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Stays Put, But Breakouts Emerging.(B)
September 27, 2002... Byline: JONAH KERI Nasdaq stocks bobbed and weaved Thursday, ending slightly lower on lighter volume. The composite index fell less than a point, the Nasdaq 100 0.8%. Despite the small losses, a handful of stocks breaking out or...

School Operator Cooks Up High-Growth Menu.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 27, 2002... Byline: David Saito-Chung Education Management powered higher on above-average volume for the second straight session Thursday. The stock is trying to break out of a more than one-year base. The stock's Relative Strength line, found...

When The Market Falls, Its Leaders Drop Faster.(SERIES: Reading The Market)(A)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 26, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Reading The Market: Eleventh In A Series The great thing about growth stocks is they tend to climb faster and higher than the major indexes. Bigger profits are possible. The bad thing? When the market...

U.S. Growth View Cut As IMF Also Reduces Outlook for Japan, EU; Big Three Hold Back World; Productivity is good news; it'll keep U.S. expanding as others flirt with decline.(A)
September 26, 2002... Byline: JED GRAHAM Next year could be nearly as dreary as '02 for the U.S. and other big economies, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday. In its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, the Washington-based lender trimmed its...

Credit Worries, Refinance Surge Trim Mortgage Lenders' Shares; Low Rates' Dark Side.(A)
September 26, 2002... Byline: CRAIG SHAW The dark side of ultralow interest rates reared its head this month as the shares of mortgage lenders and insurers dipped on credit risks and refinancing worries. IBD's Finance -- Mortgage & Related Services...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 26, 2002... Relief Rally Lifts Cranky Market 1GE, International Paper and United Technologies said they would meet profit views, lifting the Dow 2.1%. The S&P 500 rose 2.5%, the Nasdaq 3.4%. Volume ended slightly lower, picking up as stocks rallied...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... BED, BATH & BEYOND earned 25 cents a share in Q2, up 39% and 2 cents over views. Sales rose 20%. Same-store sales climbed 8%. The retailer rose after hours. TOYOTA expects to make a profit in Europe a year early, citing a favorable...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... INTERNET Ex-Homestore execs plead guilty Ex-COO John Giesecke and ex-CFO Joseph Shew pleaded guilty to inflating the online real estate site's revenue by using bogus transactions known as "round tripping." John Desimone, a former...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... DIVERSIFIED Tyco lowers Q4 earnings outlook The diversified firm expects to earn 30-33 cents a share instead of the 45-47 cents it saw in July. The profit warning didn't surprise investors, who were more worried about new accounting...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... RETAIL AutoZone Q4 profit surged 62% The auto parts retailer earned $1.73 a share, beating views by 32 cents. Sales rose 12% to $1.8 bil, the best growth in at least 10 quarters. Same-store sales grew 6.6%. AutoZone credited the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... MEDIA Vivendi sheds directors, assets The debt-laden French media giant now hopes to sell $11.7 bil in assets over 18 months while refocusing on film, TV and games. It's near a final deal to sell its money-losing Italian pay-TV unit...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... CFOs more bearish on economy Duke University's CFO Outlook Survey found that 37% are less optimistic about the U.S. economy this quarter than three months ago, 31% are more upbeat and 32% feel about the same. Though they expect GDP...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... Nearly 5,000 BellSouth employees took a voluntary severance pay package, which means the local Bell has to fire less than 30 workers. Bell Labs fired physicist Hendrik Schon for falsifying data in a series of nanotechnology experiments...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... Stem cell rule stifling, panel told Medical research is hindered by federal rules on embryonic stem cell use, scientists told the Senate. President Bush restricted funds for research on embryonic stem cells to 78 existing cell lines....

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 26, 2002... 2 al-Qaida suspects freed on bail The men posted $146,150 bail in Spain hours after it was set. They allegedly shot video of U.S. landmarks and passed the tapes to leaders preparing the Sept. 11 attack. A third suspect stayed in custody....