Investor's Business Daily articles from September 2004, page 2

Investor's Business Daily archives from September 2004

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 28, 2004... German firms' confidence eases Germany's Ifo business sentiment index dropped to 95.2 in Sept. from 95.3 in Aug., its second straight monthly decline but less than expected. Its business conditions component rose for the third straight...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 28, 2004... RPM forecast profit of 46-47 cents a share in Q1, a 13%-15% rise over a year ago and in line with views. The speciality sealant maker's sales rose 13%-14%. Shares were flat at 16.44. Tommy Hilfiger fell 22% to 10.30 after it disclosed a...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 28, 2004... U.S. tightens security for Nov.2 The U.S. government is publicizing its tightening of security in advance of the Nov. election, hoping terrorists will give up trying to influence the ballot box, The Washington Post reported. The extra...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 28, 2004... U.N. sends more help to Haiti Hundreds of peacekeepers rushed to the storm-ravaged town of Gonaives to stem looting, while hundreds of weary Haitians lined up for food before daybreak Monday after spending a miserable night in the rain....

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 28, 2004... Suburbs seen making people sick Sprawling developments and a driving-dependent culture can lead to high blood pressure, arthritis and headaches, a report in the journal Public Health concludes. Researchers found that the increased time in...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 28, 2004... ** Mars and Snickers bars will be downsized in the U.K. next year to combat obesity. Masterfoods is cutting its king-sized bars, which have 387 calories, into 2 portions in order to appease Britain's Food and Drink Federation, which wants...

Dreaming Up Great Ideas.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 28, 2004... Byline: Amy Alexander 2 The alarm clock buzzes. But you're still thinking about Bob's Big Boy, where, in your dream, you've just sat down to a juicy hamburger with a giant rabbit named Sam. Can you use this odd nocturnal scene in...

Legal Expert Christine Lagarde; Be Flexible: When facing challenging clients, she adapts and strategizes.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 28, 2004... Byline: JOANNE VON ALROTH Being diplomatic doesn't usually include how one treats a fish head. Unless you're Christine Lagarde. Lagarde was in Gin Zhu, China, several years ago on business in her role as chairman of Baker & McKenzie,...

IBM, HP, Sun Micro Sensing Opportunity In RFID Sensor Field; Plan For A Post-Bar Code Era; They're dialing into all the ways their services can fit in with radio frequency tags.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 28, 2004... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN What's black and white and nearly obsolete? The answer -- if you believe Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Sun Microsystems -- is those bar codes printed on the side of just about every product sold today. The...

Linux Could Become A Big Force In The Weather-Forecasting Field; Storming Into Market; Tough task of predicting where hurricanes will hit may fit with open source.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 28, 2004... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Can the penguin fight storms? The flock of hurricanes that hit Florida this season is putting more pressure on forecasters to provide fast, reliable information. The National Weather Service and others use...

AT&T Going After Youth Market With Low-Cost Ogo Mobile Messaging Device; Target Customers: IM Users; Users will be able to send and receive IMs and e-mail from MSN, AOL, Yahoo.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 28, 2004... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Call it the BlackBerry for teens and young adults. AT&T Wireless introduced a low-cost mobile messaging device Monday that aims to do for young people what Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices did for the...

Virtual Communities Of Practice Unite Corporate Workers Online.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 28, 2004... Byline: J. BONASIA In an age of information, knowledge is power. Companies that quickly find, share and exploit internal knowledge can gain an edge over rivals. But sharing expertise across a large global company is no easy task....

TOP TANKERS INC. Athens, Greece; Tanker Firm Cashes In On Demand For Oil.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 28, 2004... Byline: MARILYN ALVA Evangelos Pistiolis was only 19 when he traveled from his home in Greece to Veracruz, Mexico, to take delivery of his first ship: a dry-cargo carrier. For Pistiolis, it was the start of a journey to fulfill a...

Long-Short Funds Have Uneven Record; Trouble Beating Market; Though often billed as similar to hedge funds, they're more regulated.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(INVESTMENT TRENDS)
September 28, 2004... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN At a time when rapid growth in hedge funds might suggest that their mutual fund counterparts -- long-short funds -- would also prove popular, few investors seem to have much appetite for mutual funds they can sell...

California Cloning.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 28, 2004... Stem Cell Politics: Golden State voters are being asked to spend a few billion in pursuit of medical miracles. Hope, hype and partisanship may get in the way of a sound decision on this issue. Proposition 71 on the November ballot looks...

May The Force Be With Us.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 28, 2004... National Security: Iran intends to launch its first satellite into space early next year, just about the time Sen. John Kerry hopes to be keeping his campaign pledge about "reducing total expenditures on missile defense." Once ridiculed...

Europe Is The Prize For Islamic Terrorists.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 28, 2004... Europe: "I don't want to be a great leader," Spain's prime minister said recently. Not to worry. Given his government's policies in the war on terror, there's little danger of that. Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at least has...

Texas Volunteer.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 28, 2004... Campaign '04: Dan Rather was eager to believe those fake memos were authentic. Would he have been as willing to believe a positive report about the president? When it was clear that CBS could no longer sustain the fraud, Rather chose to...

Debate Pointer From Colorado Straight Talker.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(ON THE LEFT)
September 28, 2004... Byline: E.J. DIONNE JR. One of the central claims of democracy is that wisdom percolates up from the heartland. As he prepares for Thursday's debate with President Bush, Sen. John Kerry might ponder the thoughts of Ken Salazar,...

Could Australia Bail Like Spain? Oct. 9 Will Tell.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(ON THE RIGHT)
September 28, 2004... Byline: CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER Of all our allies in the world, which is the only one to have joined the U.S. in the foxhole in every war in the last 100 years? Not Britain, not Canada, certainly not France. The answer is Australia. ...

A Tech Gift That Keeps On Giving But Which The Data Keep Ignoring.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(PERSPECTIVE)
September 28, 2004... Byline: GRAHAM TANAKA Since the 1970s, economists have been predicting that the Digital Revolution would provide enormous benefits to the economy. Today, consumers are happy to shop online and buy better-performing PCs and cell...

Use Learning Center To Boost Your Investing Knowledge.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 28, 2004... Byline: NANCY GONDO What kind of sales and earnings growth trends should you seek from a stock you're thinking about buying? On the flip side, what red flags should you look for in one you own? Whether you're a novice investor or you...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE NYSE Stocks Sink As Volume Closes Higher.(MAKING MONEY)
September 28, 2004... Byline: IBD STAFF NYSE stocks declined in slightly higher volume Monday, continuing last week's tough sledding. The Dow and S&P 500 both fell 0.6%, the small-cap S&P 600 1.3%. NYSE losers beat winners by a nearly 2-1 margin. ...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
September 28, 2004... 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...

Fashion Retailer Guess Testing New Concept.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 28, 2004... Byline: David Saito-Chung Guess has enjoyed a brisk run since March 2003. The stock ramped out of a three-month cup-shaped base in February this year and stroked new highs, but slipped back into the base. The Los Angeles-based...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Surging Crude, Tech Downgrades Dent Stocks.(B)
September 28, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Stocks stumbled Monday as oil neared $50 a barrel and downgrades hit the chip and telecom gear sectors. The Nasdaq composite and large-cap Nasdaq 100 each gapped down 1% as volume declined. Brokerage Morgan Stanley...

Somanetics Expects Stronger 2004 Profit.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 28, 2004... Byline: Craig Shaw Somanetics is adding a handle to its four-month base. The stock posted a bullish upside reversal week in mid-August after testing its long-term 200-day support line. Up weeks on above-average volume outnumber down...

Do Bond Investors Buy Into The Fed's View Of Economy?; Bond Yield Near 6-Mo. Low; Market's long-term view still appears to assume modest growth and prices.(A)
September 27, 2004... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE At its meeting last week, the Federal Reserve underscored its belief that the recovery is firming. But the bond market seems to have its doubts, sending long-term Treasury yields to pre-summer lows. Echoing the...

MARKET TOOL BAR.(A)
September 27, 2004... S&P 500 INDEX 1110.11 +1.75 (+0.2%) Six-week win streak comes to an end DOW JONES IND. 10,047.24 +8.34 (+0.1%) Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Altria weigh NYSE VOL (MIL) 1,250 -30 (-2.3%) ...

Bush Still Falls Short With Jews, Once Behind War But No Longer; Strong support of Israel and war on terror result in just 5-pt. bump vs. '00.(A)
September 27, 2004... Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL Jewish Republican has long seemed an oxymoron. It still does today. A new poll by the American Jewish Committee of 1,000 American Jews finds that only 16% claim the GOP as their party. President Bush does a...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 27, 2004... Crude Climbs To Record Close 1Nov. futures rose 42 cents to $48.88 a barrel amid ongoing supply fears as Gulf of Mexico output recovers slowly from Hurricane Ivan. Oil surged $3.29, or 7.2%, for the week as U.S. stockpiles dived to a...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... PEROT SYSTEMS named general counsel Peter Altabef CEO and president as founder Ross Perot and his son, Ross Perot Jr., reduced their roles to chairman emeritus and chairman. Shares were flat. TOMMY HILFIGER got a grand jury subpoena...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... RETAIL Pep Boys warns on Q3 results The auto parts and services retailer said high gas prices and slow consumer spending will hurt its profit; views see its profit up 12.5% to 27 cents a share. Pep Boys' service business is slipping,...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... DEFENSE Armor firms surge on new reports DHB Industries climbed 20% to 13.51 and Armor Holdings rose 4% to 39.60 after brokerage analysts issued positive reports on defense firms that make bullet-resistant vests and vehicle armor...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... TRANSPORTATION Judge sides with United's unions A federal bankruptcy judge ruled late Friday against United Airlines' parent company in a key dispute, siding with unions that said UAL underestimated the impact of terminating pension...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... MEDIA Viacom signs Chinese TV deal The media conglomerate made a pact with Beijing Television to produce Chinese language music and entertainment programming. Viacom also has an agreement with No. 2 Chinese media firm Shanghai Media...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... Leading U.S. gauge falls again The Economic Cycle Research Institute's index slid to 131.4 in the week ended Sept. 17 from a downwardly revised 131.6 the prior week. ECRI blamed higher jobless claims and slower growth in commodity prices,...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... Dogs sniff out bladder cancer British scientists have trained dogs to detect cancer after smelling human urine, the first scientific proof of anecdotal evidence that dogs can sense their owners' illnesses, says the British Medical...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... House leaders defend ethics panel House ethics committee leaders vouched for their GOP members, insisting the lawmakers could act impartially in deciding whether Majority Leader Tom DeLay misused his office. Democrats have called for an...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 27, 2004... Navy to patrol near North Korea State-of-the-art U.S. destroyers will begin patrolling off N. Korea as early as this week. It's the first step toward erecting a multibillion-dollar missile shield to protect the U.S. President Bush...

HOW YOU THINK IS EVERYTHING Accentuate The Personal.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Cord Cooper 1 Building strong business relationships depends on your mind-set, the data you gather and specific actions you take, says Jerry Acuff, president of Delta Point -- The Sales Agency, a marketing consultancy in...

Olympian Jenny Thompson; Never Rest: She wins by always looking for her next goal, her next competition.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL MINK For Jenny Thompson, reaching the top is a matter of following the "four C's." Her foundation was laid early on. "The first time I tried out for the swim team (at age 8) I didn't make it . . . but I was very...

Boob Tube? Not In Technology.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2004... Try buying a new TV set lately? These definitions might help. ** Cathode ray tube (CRT): The most common TV display type. The CRT is a sealed glass envelope in which the inside front surface is coated by phosphors. The phosphors glow...

Texas Instruments Enjoying What's On TV; Its DLP Hits Sales Channels; Television sets that feature digital light processing are seen gaining in the market.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2004... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ When it comes to digital television, flat-panel sets get most of the attention because of their cool, hang-on-the-wall designs. But a new generation of rear-screen projection sets are turning some heads, thanks to...

Samsung Semi Eyes Only Firm Above It; No. 2 Itches To Be No. 1; Chipmaker leader Intel securely at top, though rivals are growing faster.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 27, 2004... Byline: JAMES DETAR We're No. 2! We're No. 2! That's not a cheer you'll hear too often at, say, a football game. But it's pretty heady stuff when your playing field is the chip industry, which boasts annual sales of $200 billion. ...

R&G FINANCIAL CORP. San Juan, Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico's Housing Market Keeps Bank In The Money.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 27, 2004... Byline: DAVID ISAAC Christopher Columbus set foot on a rectangular island in 1493. To his amazement, the locals gave him gold nuggets from a river and said, "Take all you want." OK, not the Indians' brightest moment, but at least it...

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)
September 27, 2004... PHARMACEUTICALS Online Buyers Head To Canada, Mexico Pharmacy Web sites in Canada and Mexico are benefiting as U.S. buyers seek lower-cost prescription drugs. Of the top 25 pharmacy sites with the highest percentage of users...

Options Lose Luster At Big Firms; Executive Pay: Increasingly, stock grants, not options, are the motivators.(MANAGING FOR SUCCESS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN General Electric surprised investors last year when it said that CEO Jeff Immelt's pay package would no longer hinge on stock options. GE said it instead will pay Immelt partly through "performance share...

MED BRIEFS.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
September 27, 2004... Report: More Disclosures Needed Requiring doctors and hospitals to report publicly on their performance and tying their pay to the results would dramatically reduce avoidable deaths and costs attributable to poor medical care, says a new...

Its Ultrasound Products Are Making Noise; SonoSite; Bothell, Wash. sonosite.com.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)(UNDER THE MICROSCOPE)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Gloria Lau Whatever your ailment, you're almost always guaranteed a better diagnosis if your doctor can look inside your body. Ultrasound technology passes high frequency sound waves into the body. The reflected echoes are...

Encouraging Results From Cancer Drug Excite Wall Street; Treatments Should Extend Life; Tests show EGF inhibitor is effective in treating patients with lung, pancreatic cancer.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
September 27, 2004... Byline: AMY REEVES Last spring Wall Street went a little crazy when tests showed a drug called Tarceva extended the life spans of patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer. The drug's co-developer, OSI Pharmaceuticals, saw its shares...

If A Drug Trial Fails, Should You Know It?; Editor: Yes, You Should; Her journal joins peers and some drug firms in support of trial registry.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)(Q & A)
September 27, 2004... Byline: GLORIA LAU Investors keep their eyes out for clinical trial results because they want to know if a drug is working. That might mean big profits for companies they invest in. It's also important to look out for clinical...

Market-Leading Medical Stocks.(HEALTH & MEDICINE)
September 27, 2004... 1Amedisys IncOutpnt/Hm CareAMED28.5-15.19897A914468.277 The home health-care services provider's earnings are expected to grow 80% this year to $1.44 a share, after shrinking last year. 2Arrhythmia Research...

Bond Trading Data Now Going Public; Fidelity Starts Service; NASD helps crack long monopoly by brokers on bond price information.(FUNDS & PERSONAL FINANCE)(INVESTMENT TRENDS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF The world of bond trading is undergoing an extreme makeover. Information about bond prices and commissions, which can vary depending on which broker handled the trade, is becoming more uniform. That's making...

The Wall Within CBS Is Bias.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 27, 2004... Journalism: Some questioned the relevance when we ran a five-part series here last month on bias in the national media. Is the problem really that bad? they asked. Now, in the wake of the CBS-Dan Rather scandal, the questions have stopped....

Insulting A Friend.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 27, 2004... Politics: Sen. John Kerry and his crew have proved Sen. Zell Miller right. They really will say anything to get elected, even if that means undermining a courageous ally and greasing the skids to defeat in Iraq. It was the renegade...

Outsourcing -- The Movie.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 27, 2004... Jobs: John Kerry says we're stronger when we create good-paying jobs here, not ship them overseas. He should tell that to his friends in Hollywood. Or maybe not. Remember when George Bush first ran for president in 2000 and the likes of...

Lust For Scoop Is Often Blind, But Not Sinful.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(ON THE LEFT)
September 27, 2004... Byline: RICHARD COHEN Courage, Dan. Courage. That word, once used by Dan Rather as a sign off, perfectly describes what he needs now. He's made mistakes. He has not handled himself well. He probably prejudged the story, maybe working...

Firing Blanks In A Class War On Page One.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(ON THE RIGHT)
September 27, 2004... Byline: BRUCE BARTLETT A newspaper's prime real estate is the space on Page 1, above the fold. This is where it highlights the most important stories of the day. Usually, the news itself dictates what will occupy a paper's most...

Precedent And Probabilities Point To Bush Re-Election In November.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(PERSPECTIVE)
September 27, 2004... Byline: RUSS KOESTERICH Given the divided state of the electorate, it is safe to assume that President Bush's poll numbers, currently on top, will fluctuate in the coming weeks. Certainly the upcoming debates will introduce an element of...

Who's Who In Building Construction Products -- Miscellaneous Stocks ranked by a combined EPS and Relative Strength.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)
September 27, 2004... 1Building MaterialsBMHC919727.15365.61776.7119-1.56972.2 San Francisco. Provides building materials and services to residential builders. 2American Wood.AMWD869274.77614.7700.12917.521167.8 Winchester, Va. Manufactures and...

Housing Frenzy Puts Materials In Tight Supply; Makers of building supplies riding wave of construction, renovations.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)(BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS - MISC.)
September 27, 2004... Byline: MARILYN ALVA When you build or renovate, it's all about the little things: trusses, joints, faucets, flooring, lighting, glass, doors and shingles. Since there's been an awful lot of building and renovating in recent years,...

A Housing Slowdown Doesn't Scare Masco; Thanks to consolidation, supplier is in good spot even if construction ebbs.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)(Q & A)
September 27, 2004... Byline: MARILYN ALVA For a company in the "miscellaneous" building products' group, Masco couldn't be a better fit. Its various divisions make and sell just about everything for the home -- including the kitchen sink. From a...

Newer Stocks Tend To Grab Market's Reins.(THE IBD 100)(INSIDE THE IBD 100)
September 27, 2004... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG What do an online auction site, a Puerto Rican bank, a Russian wireless services firm and a medical diagnostic products firm have in common? Another trick question like last week, right? Nope. These members...

THE IBD 100.(THE IBD 100)
September 27, 2004... 1TravelzooTZOO72.40-5999999+189+167+167+687220910 Looking like Internet travel firm is the new heir to Taser. Stock riding its 5-day average. 2Ultra PetroleumUPL46.30-3999998+87+130+108+96355870 Gas driller has six quarters of...

Acquired Pesticides Sow The Seeds Of American Vanguard's Growth.(THE IBD 100)
September 27, 2004... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The hurricanes that swept through the South have unleashed swarms of mosquitoes, those unlovable lovers of standing water and humidity. Officials are fighting back with DiBrom, an insecticide its maker says...

IBD'S WEEK IN REVIEW.(THE IBD 100)
September 27, 2004... Crude Oil Closes Week At Record High 1Near-term oil futures jumped 42 cents Friday to $48.88, a new nominal high. Daily production in the Gulf of Mexico remains 27% below normal, fallout from recent hurricanes. Potential output...

THE IBD 100.(THE IBD 100)
September 27, 2004... 51eBayEBAY89.22-7959988+59+81+50+521133212 Web auctioneer breaks out Sept. 13, only to reverse, round-trip a few days later. 52Fremont General CpFMT22.30-28959988+52+97..+503940180 Subprime lender etched deep base amid...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
September 27, 2004... 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...

Don't Ignore IBD's Stock Tables In Your Search For New Leaders.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 27, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW With all the screening tools available on the Web, you may be tempted to skip the stock tables as you search for future market winners. Don't. IBD's stock tables aren't like those you'll find in most daily...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Record Crude Oil Prices Keep Market Subdued.(MAKING MONEY)
September 27, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Stocks ended barely higher Friday as crude marked a record close and data showed better-than-expected durable goods demand. The Dow industrials edged up 0.1%, the S&P 500 0.2%. The small-cap S&P 600 tacked on 0.1%. For...

Watsco Consolidates Near Top Of Pattern.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Craig Shaw Watsco staged a low-volume breakout Sept. 2 and may be setting up for a new run to 52-week highs. Up weeks on above-average volume in its base outnumber down weeks by 7-to-4, a sign of institutional accumulation. The...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Chips, Internets, Oil Prices Weigh On Nasdaq.(B)
September 27, 2004... Byline: NANCY GONDO Tech stock weakness and surging oil prices sent Nasdaq stocks near their intraday lows. The composite index shed 0.4% Friday and 1.6% lower for the week. The Nasdaq 100 pulled back 0.5% for a 1.9% weekly loss. Volume...

Gibraltar Posts Solid Sales, Profit Growth.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Nancy Gondo Gibraltar Steel marked a new high June 29 before embarking on a gradual pullback to shape the left side of a shallow base. It dipped below its 50-day moving average in early August, but quickly found support just...

IBD'S 20 RULES FOR INVESTMENT SUCCESS.(THE SMART INVESTOR)
September 27, 2004... A vital point is these rules are not based on our personal opinion, our beliefs or those of Wall Street's analysts and experts. Investor's Business Daily built models of the most successful stocks and investors of the last half-century. We...

Int'l Game Technology Hit Several Jackpots.(THE SMART INVESTOR)(WINNING WAYS)
September 27, 2004... Byline: KEN HOOVER International Game Technology, a maker of slot and video poker machines, came into the 1990s with new management and a new corporate culture and structure. Best of all, the new management had discovered a new way...

Kerry's Foreign Policy: Once A Staunch Dove, Now More "Nuanced'; Several Positions On Iraq; Fought Reagan in 1980s, opposed first Gulf War, but shifted some in '90s.(A)
September 24, 2004... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS John Kerry attacked President Bush this week for his handling of Iraq, saying Bush has "mismanaged every aspect" and is "living in a make-believe world." Kerry also laid out a four-point plan for stabilizing...

With Crude Prices Staying High, Eyes Turn To Canada's Oil Sands; Profitable with $30 oil, increasing projects tap vast deposits up north.(A)
September 24, 2004... Byline: PETER BENESH With voracious global demand and Mideast security fears driving up the price of oil to near $50 a barrel, you might be surprised to know there is a vast supply of largely untapped crude in North America: oil sands....

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 24, 2004... Iraq Leader: Thank You, America 1That was PM Ayad Allawi's simple message to Congress. "We are succeeding" in rebuilding Iraq, he said, adding, "the values of liberty and democracy" are taking hold. He vowed to hold elections on time in...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 24, 2004... PALMSOURCE narrowed its Q1 loss to a penny a share, beating views, but steered its Q2 forecast below views of a nickel loss to 7 cents. Shares fell. ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC made 36 cents a share, reversing a year-ago loss, but missing views....

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 24, 2004... TRANSPORTATION AA cuts flights, seeks debt relief American Airlines is cutting some flights and may charge for on board food as it tries to offset higher fuel prices and competition from low-cost carriers. A day earlier, parent AMR...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 24, 2004... FINANCE Slow trading hurts A.G. Edwards The brokerage firm earned 52 cents a share in Q2, up 13% from a year ago, but 3 cents under views. Revenue fell 4% to $614.3 mil, also under views, on declines in commissions, investment...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 24, 2004... ENERGY Halliburton may drop KBR unit The conglomerate may shed the controversy-plagued engineering and construction unit if its share performance doesn't match its peers once it puts its asbestos-related costs behind it. Halliburton...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 24, 2004... Fed index: Growth slowed in Aug. The Chicago Fed's index of national activity fell to 0.19 in Aug. from an upwardly revised 0.53 in July. Although production, housing and consumer activity remained positive, they were less so than in...