1.   Slow economic growth stunted corporate profits last quarter.

2.   Also last week, LSI Logic Corp. warned of weak profits this quarter because of weak sales.

3.   Also this week, U.S. corporations reported a surge in second quarter profits.

4.   Anticipation of ever more profits every quarter was the juice that kept Wall Street cheering.

5.   ASE, Mustek Corp. and other electronics companies led the way after several of these companies reported weaker-than-expected first quarter profit in the past week.

6.   Australian businesses -- dominated by newspapers -- will likely show little increase in fourth quarter profit.

7.   Automotive stocks also dropped on anticipation of lower-than-expected third quarter profits and reduced production.

8.   Australian stocks fell led by National Australia Bank Ltd. after the bank reported a lower-than-expected third quarter profit.

9.   Aames Financial Corp. reported second quarter profits nearly tripled from the same period a year ago because of a rising mortgage lending business.

10.   British Petroleum is expected to release its third quarter profits.