21.   Economic reports indicating slowing growth with no pickup in inflation have convinced investors that corporate profits will grow.

22.   Extraordinarily high corporate profits must grow larger.

23.   Frankel expects profits to grow, but not as rapidly as the top line.

24.   Hans Hartmann, analyst with Dresdner International Research Institute, said he thinks profit must be growing faster than sales, especially at Mercedes.

25.   In hindsight, they contribute to an understanding of how corporate profits could have grown so much over the last three years without a boost from productivity.

26.   In NEW YORK, U.S. stocks rose to records on optimism that corporate profits will grow the rest of the year.

27.   Investors took the news as a sign that the Federal Reserve may hold interest rates steady, allowing corporate profits to grow.

28.   Investors say while they regard many stocks as expensive, they remain optimistic as long as profits grow and interest rates stay relatively low.

29.   Investors took the news as a sign that the Federal Reserve may hold benchmark lending rates steady, allowing corporate profits to grow.

30.   Investors took the news of low inflation as a sign that the Federal Reserve may hold benchmark lending rates steady, allowing corporate profits to grow.