Broader Markets Look To Open Lower

Stocks appear set to open flat to
lower Monday, six months to the day of the 9/11 attack.

Be Free
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has agreed to be
acquired by Value Click
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with a BFRE price of $1.95 a share. BFRE
closed at $1.55 on Friday.

Intersil
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announced that it
will acquire Elantec Semiconductor
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for $53.44 in a stock-and-cash
deal worth approximately $1.4 billion.

Williams-Sonoma
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posted Q4
earnings of $1.20 a share, or $70.4 million, vs. $44.5 million, or 79 cents a
share, for the same quarter a year ago. According to a survey taken by Thomson
Financial/First Call, consensus was for $1.21 a share.

Verizon Communications’
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chairman Charles Lee said he plans to step down as the company’s co-chief
executive officer in April, three months sooner than he had planned.

Digene Corp
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said the FDA
advisory panel has recommended approval (with conditions) of the company’s tests
for cervical cancer.

DB Alex Brown upgraded American
Express
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and Capital One
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from Market Perform to Buy, citing
strong consumer spending and the low employment numbers which were released
Friday.

UBS Warburg downgraded Teva
Pharmaceuticals
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from Buy to Hold. The firm is less confident in
Teva’s growth prospects for 2002 and 2003.

Banc of America lowered its estimates
on EMC Corp
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and Emulex
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, citing a slower push in the
recovery of the group.

TRW
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was downgraded by DB
Alex Brown from Market Perform to Underperform based on the firm’s belief that
downside potential outweighs upside potential.

Robertson Stephens upgraded Credence
Systems
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from Market Perform to Buy and raised its price target from
$18 to $27 based on new product introductions, increase in demand and valuation.

3Dlabs
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has agreed to be
acquired by Creative Technology
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in a deal which values TDDD at
about $3.60 a share.

Bradley Pharmaceuticals
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reported favorable efficacy data of the company’s Carmol 40 in Moccasin tinea
pedis.

Greg