71.   Turner points out that high price-earnings ratios normally indicate that companies are expected to enjoy substantial future earnings gains.

72.   U.S. stocks rose, led by Microsoft Corp. and Nationsbank amid optimism that computer and banking companies will record the biggest earnings gains in the first quarter.

73.   U.S. stocks rose, led by Microsoft Corp. and NationsBank Corp. amid optimism that computer and banking companies will record the biggest earnings gains in the first quarter.

74.   WALL STREET POURS IT ON Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and Paine Webber joined the list of big brokerage firms reporting double-digit earnings gains for the latest quarter.

75.   While such techniques produce earnings gains, they are not the kind of gains that investors typically pay a premium for, simply because they are not sustainable.

76.   But it is clear that earnings gains have slowed down from their torrid pace at the beginning of the year.

77.   Earnings gains in the third quarter will not be as impressive as they were earlier this year, she said.

78.   Nintendo said much of the earnings gain came from converting overseas earnings back into Japanese currency once the U.S. dollar recovered against the yen on foreign exchange markets.

79.   NEC said most of the earnings gain came from a booming market for personal computers and mobile communications equipment.

80.   Expansion of production in Southeast Asia and China as well as cost-cutting efforts by increasing overseas procurement contributed to the earnings gain, it said.