Banks: SVRN and PFNC: - not sure who it was was recommending SVRN (Sovereign Bank) - to me this stock has not been able to get off its *ss for the past year, except for one cyber blip. Perception is that they overpaid for the Fleet branches, have lousy service, and just not a well run bank. PFNC - Progressive Financial, another bank that has not done anything. I stick with it because they have financed a number of tech start ups, and have warrants in quite a few of them, VERT being a large one. ONE -dogbreath C-(citigroup) - seems to be the class act in banks/financials. banks gonna have problem for a while, imo, with the new perception of even more rate increases. think we have seen the blip in banks. will have to wait till end of rate increases now. SOTR- Southtrust, real nice southern bank -Ala, Ga, FLa, etc. Financial sector stronger than banks, imo, but think that the real money will be made in the near term in the top notch companies: INTC, CSCO, SUNW, IBM,GE, etc. JNJ got nice boost in Barrons. Health Sector should be strong. larry |