21.   Analysts said investors shrugged off the signs of economic weakness and focused instead on the prospects for continued corporate earnings growth in a low-inflation environment.

22.   Analysts said investors apparently bought stocks on expectations of better earnings growth and rising share prices ahead.

23.   Analysts said some investors were selling blue-chip stocks to buy smaller companies that promised quicker earnings growth.

24.   Analysts said the slew of disappointing earnings in the first quarter caused many analysts to rethink their bright projections for earnings growth.

25.   Analysts said they expect the company to keep pace with or exceed earnings growth of other major drugmakers.

26.   And in general, he looks for companies with stable earnings that demonstrate improved earnings growth or profitability.

27.   And he likes to buy them at prices that do not reflect their superior long-term earnings growth.

28.   And if Cisco chooses to generate earnings growth from internal research, that will be more costly as well.

29.   And it is finally delivering something akin to stable earnings growth.

30.   And its first-quarter earnings, although below its target of double-digit earnings growth, were exactly what analysts had predicted.