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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (444555)	8/18/2003 11:56:38 AM
From: jlallen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Dr. Kay will be providing an update in midSeptember....

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (444555)	8/18/2003 12:08:00 PM
From: JDN	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

You tell us where Saddam is and we'll tell you where the WMD are!! jdn

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (444555)	8/18/2003 12:08:52 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

August 18, 2003 Stocks Rise as Optimism Grows About Economy By REUTERS Filed at 11:53 a.m. ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose in light trading on Monday as positive news from big retailers like Wal-Mart and relief that last week's power outage didn't cause lasting damage to the economy fed optimism that the U.S. economy is recovering. Declining bond yields also helped reassure investors who have been nervous about a recent spike in interest rates. The yield on the benchmark 10-year note eased to 4.48 percent in Monday trading, down from 4.53 percent on Friday. Stock investors fear that rising interest rates could crimp an economic recovery by making borrowing more expensive. ``It's a reasonably quiet day. We had some good earnings news out of Lowe's, and Wal-Mart reported sales at the high end of expectations that weren't hurt by the power outage,'' said Rich Nash, chief market strategist at Victory Capital Management. ``Yields on the 10-year Treasury are settling in the 4 to 5 percent range, and as long as we hang out in that area, it'll cause fears about higher rates on the economy to subside a bit,'' Nash said. The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) rose 66.39 points, or 0.71 percent, to 9,388.01. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) added 5.76 points, or 0.58 percent, at 996.44. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) added 20.01 points, or 1.18 percent, to 1,722.02. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N) shares rose after the retailer said August sales at its U.S. stores open at least a year may beat its target range of a 3 percent to 5 percent gain, due to strong back-to-school sales. Shares of Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer and a Dow component, rose 77 cents, or 1.33 percent, to $58.87. Lowe's Cos. Inc. (LOW.N), the No. 2 U.S. home improvement retailer after Home Depot Inc. (HD.N), gained after it said second-quarter earnings rose 28 percent, beating forecasts, as improved weather and increased advertising drove sales. Shares of Lowe's jumped $1.87, or 3.8 percent, to $50.77. FirstEnergy Corp. (FE.N) was among the NYSE's most actively traded stocks. Its shares fell as analysts said the utility could face credibility issues and credit ratings cuts after its system was identified by a top industry investigator as a likely origin of last week's blackout, the worst ever in North America. Merrill Lynch also cut its investment rating on FirstEnergy to ``neutral'' from ``buy.'' Its shares tumbled $3.06, or 10 percent, to $27.57.