Mixed Opening

Stocks appeared set to open mixed
Friday.

Gross Domestic Products increased .7%
but was weaker than expected. Personal Consumption Expenditures increased 1.7%.

Fair Isaac
(
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earned 53 cents a
share for Q3 with revenues increasing 11%. The company beat analysts’
expectations by 3 cents.

Biotechnology company Amgen
(
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announced an increase in Q2 profits of 7%. The company earned 30 cents per share
beating analysts’ expectations of 2 cents, according to Thomson Financial/First
Call.

Microelectronic manufacturer Veeco
Instruments
(
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reported Q2 earnings of 40 cents on income of $10.0
million. According to a poll taken by Thomson Financial/First Call analysts’
mean estimates were for 37 cents.

Qualcomm
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reported Q3
profits fell 20%. The company earned 22 cents a share, beating Wall Street’s
estimates of 21 cents a share, according to Thomson Financial/First
Call.

Life insurance company American
General
(
AGC |
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reported Q2 earnings of 71 cents a share, in line with
analysts’ expectations, based on data collected by Thomson Financial/First Call.

Corporate office of Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, Tricon Global
(
YUM |
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reported Q2 earnings
of 73 cents, beating analysts’ views by 2 cents.

Beckman Coulter
(
BEC |
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reported
earnings of 58 cents a share in line with analysts’ expectations for Q2.

Duane Reade
(
DRD |
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PowerRating)
reported Q2
earnings of 36 cents a rise of 45.6%. According to analysts surveyed by Thomson
Financial/First Call, consensus was for earnings of 35 cents a share.

Coffee shop chain Starbucks
(
SBUX |
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earned 12 cents a share, meeting Q3 targets. The company’s sales increased 19% to
$663 million.

Peoples Energy
(
PGL |
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reported Q3
earnings of 31 cents a share, beating analysts’ lowered estimates of 28
cents a share. The natural gas distributor forecasts FY 2001 earnings will
come in between $3.15 to $3.25 a share. According to Thomson Financial/First
Call, lowered estimates were for $3.19.

Columbia Sportswear
(
COLM |
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PowerRating)
was
downgraded by Goldman Sachs from Market Outperform to Market Perform.

First Union Securities upgraded
Advance Fiber Communications
(
AFCI |
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from Buy to Strong Buy.

Qualcomm
(
QCOM |
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PowerRating)
was upgraded by
ABN Amro to Buy from Hold and set a price target of $80 a share.

Reliant Energy
(
REI |
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PowerRating)
beat Q2
earning estimates of 77 cents a share according to a poll taken by Thomson
Financial/First Call.. The energy company reported earnings of 84 cents a share.

Until later,

Greg