1. Better-than-expected profit reports last week from Compaq Computer Corp. and IBM helped drive the index higher. 2. Korea Electric Power Corp. and financial shares led the decline, which drove the index near a two-month low. 3. Property-related shares, such as New World Development Co. drove the index higher. 4. Puget Sound stocks rose as rallies in Microsoft Corp. and other Seattle-area software stocks drove the index higher. 5. TAIWAN shares rose for a fourth day, driving the index to a seven-year high, led by United Microelectronics Corp. 6. Taiwan shares rose for a fourth day, driving the index to a seven-year highs, led by United Microelectronics Corp. 7. TAIWAN shares surged, driving the index to its highest close in seven years, as electronics issued staged their biggest rally in four weeks. 8. Pollsters at ABC have come to the conclusion that their consumer index is driven more by real-life experiences than by reaction to the news. 9. But investors turned wary and drove the index back down later in the morning. 10. Gains in the financial, housing and expectations components drove the index higher, Fort said. |