1.   Technology issues showed some strength after a strong profit report from Cisco Systems, the bellwether of the computer networking sector.

2.   As a result, corporate executives can award themselves oodles of stock options without fear of denting their profit reports.

3.   ATLANTA - Stock prices continue to sink under the weight of disappointing profit reports, Middle East tension, accounting questions and other problems.

4.   Bank shares got a boost from a round of better-than-forecast first-quarter profit reports.

5.   Bankers know very well that, to put it nicely, bank profit reports have a lot of judgment built into them.

6.   Better-than-expected profit reports did little to stem the slide.

7.   Better-than-expected profit reports last week from Compaq Computer Corp. and IBM helped drive the index higher.

8.   A disappointing profit report from Hino Motors Ltd. also drove shares of second-tier carmakers lower.

9.   A host of other companies either warned that earnings will be lower than analysts had forecast, or released unexpectedly weak profit reports.

10.   A raft of strong profit reports from the likes of Intel Corp. and General Motors Corp. helped to boost shares.