21.   Whatever the executives might say, investors hope Bank of Boston gets sold.

22.   American investors hope that will help the battered Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite index, and slow the downturn in the U.S. economy.

23.   Banks resisted the trend, rising on investors hopes for a quicker disposal of their huge bad debts following the collapse over the weekend of midsize builder Sato Kogyo.

24.   Hun Sen has called new polls that opponents say have been rigged in his favor, but many investors hope new elections will bring stability.