1.   The biggest gains and the most bitter disputes arise over trades between north and south.

2.   Amgen Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and WorldCom Inc. led the retreat, while Intel, Microsoft Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. posted the biggest gains.

3.   Among Maryland stocks, Dart Group Corp. posted the biggest gain.

4.   Among stocks that rose, Sun Microsystems Inc. posted the biggest gain.

5.   And every sector of the economy except manufacturing added jobs from the same time a year ago, with the biggest gains coming at restaurants and retail stores.

6.   Analysts said the biggest gain in the producer prices since January was due mostly to an annual adjustment in the way the government measures auto prices.

7.   And the government reported that construction spending posted its biggest gain in six months during September.

8.   And the biggest gains often occur on the first day of trading.

9.   Argentine stocks scored their biggest gains in almost two months as pension funds and other large investors snapped up companies that are expected to benefit from fast economic growth.

10.   As a result, gasoline output posted its biggest weekly gain since the spring even though demand usually falls this time of year.