1.   ARGENTINE stocks fell as investors were reluctant to bid prices higher until they see more data on the performance of the economy.

2.   Both Priceline and Expedia buy blocks of hotel rooms at wholesale rates and then sell them to those who bid higher prices.

3.   After bidding prices up, investors are resting, and taking some profits.

4.   After bidding stock prices down on Thursday, traders pushed them up Friday in unusually heavy trading as bond prices steadied.

5.   But higher-than-expected inventories kept traders from bidding crude oil prices up in April, and tensions in the oil-rich Middle East have eased.

6.   But Wachtel and other strategists said that despite all the excitement, investors may have simply tired Wednesday, after bidding prices up sharply recently.

7.   In the end, investors bid share prices higher on hopes that lower interest rates will help fuel consumer spending.

8.   It then sells all of its stock at that price to everyone who bid that price or higher.

9.   Moreover, as Treasury prices are bid up, the potential for capital-gains declines accordingly.

10.   Priceline.com is the Connecticut company that has revolutionized the sale of everything from airline tickets to groceries by letting customers bid the prices they want to pay.