The Daily Times from Salisbury, Maryland • 35

MARKET ROUNDUP 1.76 to 11,381.15 NYSE 1.98 to 2,183.75 AM EX 0.45 to 1,303.82 RUSSELL BUSINESS DOW JONES NASDAQ A 0.18 to 8,388.56 A. 1.19 to 2,022.33 0.05 to 720.53 Friday, September 1. 2006 THE DAILY TIMES www. DshnwsNow.oon 35 TODAY'S BEST BET EMPLOYMENT REPORT The Labor Department reports on employment for August; analysts are expecting to see a drop in the number of people applying for unemployment benefits. YTD JBeraaiike bullish on productivity By Jeannine Aversa 'The flaOrii ftXA produc-t tivity ri pOSt- YiZL 1995 ly to continue for some time," Bernanke told an economic and development conference in Greenville, S.C.

A copy of his remarks was made available in Washington. Since 1995 productivity has been growing at a significantly faster rate than it had in the previous two decades, when efficiency gains had been sluggish. Between 1995 and 2000, productivity growth was about 2Vi percent a year, Bernanke noted. In contrast, from the early 1970s until about 1995, productivity growth averaged about lVi percent a year, he said. Big investments in computers and other productivity-enhancing equipment has played a role in the productivity improvements.

Companies have yet to reap all the benefits of their previous investments In such productivity-enhancing techologx Bernanke said. That's part of the reason why he is mostly bullish about future gains. Competition, the flexibility of U.S. companies to easily add and shed workers, and other factors also have contributed to the efficiency improvements. And U.S.

workers from auto mechanics and factory workers to scientists and engineers have done their part by, among other things, learning how to use new technologies that sharpen their productivity jobs or occupations have not been affected in some way by the technological changes of recent years, a trend that will certainly continue," Bernanke said. WASHINGTON America's productivity probably will keep growing solidly for some time to come, an important force in bolstering living standards. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday. Although future productivity gains can be difficult for economists to forecast, Bernanke offered a largely optimistic case that the country will continue to log good efficiency gains over the long term. He said recent figures showing a short-term slowing in productivity didn't change his view.

A case can be made that the strong productivity growth of the post-1995 era is like likely to continue for some time." Bea Bernanke Federal Reserve chairma Ectdmiw store stragj in The gauges UNEMPLOYMENT Fed's balancing act INFLATION SPENDING SAVINGS INCOME FACTORY ORDERS Nana Div PE Las) Chg Chg Ire 1.33 19 31.13 271 AirProd 1.36 18 86.29 .06 120 AHInsh 1.698 5252 .07 223 Allstats 1 40 18 57.94 .30 75 Alltel 1.54 15 54.21 .02 5 0 AppleCIf 31 67.85 .89 -56 1.68 14 4280 21 BkolAm 2.241 12 5147 115 BamckG 32 24 33 48 .69 201 BayNstln 12 19 20 16 BellSouth 1.16 24 40 72 503 BigUHS 18.35 .06 523 BlaokO 1.52 11 7364 -153 Boeing 1.20 30 74 90 6 6 BrMySq 1.12 15 21 75 -54 Bninswk .60 9 28 70 -29 4 CSXs .40 14 30 22 .47 19 0 CVSCp .15 21 33 55 Z7 0 Cadence 50 16.44 -2 8 CampSp .72 19 37.57 .21 265 CtlSf .88 1450 .12 CheaUtl 1 161 18 3251 4 6 Chevron 2.08 9 64 40 13 4 Cillflrp 1.98 10 49 35 1.7 CocaCE 54 22 22.30 .10 16 3 Comcast 57 35.04 .15 355 ConAgra .72 21 23 80 174 ConstelEn 151 18 60.09 1.02 43 CrownHoM 18 39 .06 -58 DPL 1.00 22 27.80 .20 6.9 D8HTC 1.82b 5278 .11 34 OomRes 2.76 29 7989 .59 3.5 Dominos .48 15 24 45 .08 1.0 Dover .741 19 4862 .62 20.1 Draxisg 4.34 5 DuPont 1.48 20 39.97 .04 -6 0 DukeEgy 1.281 22 30.00 .48 9.3 ESS Tech 1.30 EKodak .50 21.27 .25 Eaton 1.561 12 66.50 .32 Edwards .80 16 52.82 .09 12.7 Energaer 16 66 86 .66 34.3 Exeton 1.60 45 60 98 .86 14.8 EwonMbl 158 11 67.67 205 FamDIr .45 21 25.57 1.35 31 FordM 50m 8.37 .10 84 Gannett 1.241 11 56 85 -50 Gap .32 16 16.81 GenElec 1.00 21 34.06 -51 -2 8 GenMitts 1.401 19 54.23 10.0 Gentex 381 20 14 48 -25 7 GterlBums .48 13 1710 -4 6 GroenbCos 32 12 27.78 .36 -25 HarviS .966 1414 3.4 Imation .56 20 3963 ..08 InoerRd .721 11 3802 .64 IBM 150 15 80.97 Intervocce 23 711 .27 JPMorgCh 1.36 14 45.66 15.0 JohnJn 150 18 64.66 .06 7.6 Kellogg 1.16 20 50.70 .14 173 Limited .60 14 25.73 .54 15.1 LookhdM 1.20 17 82.60 .34 29 8 Lowes a .20 14 27.06 UtonzoT i 1.04 26 4349 .1 Lucent 18 2.33 -124 MSTBk 2.40 17 122.46 .15 123 McCorm .72 23 36 42 .37 17.8 McOnMs .671 16 35.90 -55 65 MercBtehS 1.121 16 36.93 Merck 1.52 16 40 55 -55 27.5 Microsoft .36 21 25.70 Motorola .20 12 23.38 3.5 NorthropG 1.20 17 66.81 .22 11.1 OcciPets .88 9 50.99 27.7 PNC 250 15 70.79 .23 145 PaylShoe 19 2346 Penney .72 13 63.04 134 PeopEn 218 42.38 .10 20.8 PepBoy 57 1284 .03 -138 PepcoHokf 1.04 13 25.39 .35 13.5 PepsiCo ,150 26 6558 -36 105 Pfizw .96 19 27.56 185 PrepaidLg 150 13 37.56 -59 Prudentl .781 13 7341 .38 .3 Rafcorp 21 4947 24.0 RJamesFs .32 15 27.72 .31 10.4 MsAld 2 434 24.7 SearaHMgs 19 144.11 .02 24.7 Stwwln 1.00 14 51.64 13.7 ShoreFns 53 IS 1681 30 18.7 Sid Regs .92 12 83 SunTret 2.44 13 76.40 51 5.0 Sysco .68 23 3139 1.1 3MCo 1.84 16 71.70 56 TmsRty 26 1328 -205 TriConU .28 2048 105 Tyson .16 14.73 UGlCorp .71 15 24.80 .28 20.4 USAirwyn 42.25 -150 13.8 UBBancrp 1.32 13 32 07 .16 7.3 VtyNBcp .880 18 25.65 11.8 ValNalGas 20 31.18 .13 59.1 VWspar .44 16 26.60 7.8 VenronCm 1.62 15 35.18 -51 16.8 Wachovia 2241 12 5463 33 WalMart .67 17 44.72 .10 Wetmn 359 .11 WeasFgos 1.121 15 34.75 .06 10.6 Wendys .68 61 63.90 .23 15.6 Weverfl 2401 62.00 .04 WllmTr 1.26 17 44 05 132 Winnbgo .40) 19 2950 .09 Wngleys 1.02 27 46.42 Xerox 19 14.81 .04 1.1 GNS The personal savings rate remained in negative territory for the 16th straight month at a negative 0.9 percent for July. That means that consumers spent all of their disposable income and dipped into savings or borrowed to finance spending in July. Incomes also were up, the Commerce Department reported, rising by 0.5 percent in July, reflecting stronger wage growth. Disposable -incomes, the amount left after paying taxes, rose by 0.7 percent in July but by just 0.3 percent after inflation was taken into account. The Labor Department reported that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 2,000 last week to 316,000.

The government will report on unemployment for August today, with many economists expecting that the economy created a modest 125,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate is expected to dip slightly from a five-month high of 4.8 percent in July down to 4.7 percent for August. A gauge of inflation tied to spending showed that consumer prices, excluding energy and food, have risen by 2.4 percent over the past 12 months, the fastest rate of increase in nearly four years. That increase in inflation is above the Fed's comfort level for annual price gains of 1 percent to 2 percent and illustrates the competing forces the central bank is currently facing. The Fed wants to slow the economy enough to keep inflation under control but not overdo the credit tightening and push the economy into a recession.

Orders to American factories fell in July by 0.6 percent, the biggest drop in three months, but the weakness was centered in a big drop in commercial aircraft, a category that is extremely volatile. The Commerce Department said that orders for durable goods were down by 2.5 percent although outside of aircraft and other transportation categories, orders showed a 1.1 percent increase. Demand for nondurable goods, items such as food and clothing, rose by 1.6 percent in July. The Commerce Department reported that spending in July rose by a healthy 0.8 percent last month, double the 0.4 percent gain in June. Demand for nondurable goods, items such as food and clothing, rose by 1.6 percent in July.

It was the best showing since a 0.9 percent increase in January. Consumer confidence may be down, but spending remains strong; higher prices are an inflation concern Wteomica TODTtoadd noon, 10 pjn. newscasts SALISBURY WMDT-TV 47 is adding a noon news broadcast on weekdays starting Sept. 4, it announced on its Web sita The half-hour newscast will also air on the new CW network, which will launch on Sept 18. The station is also adding a half-hour newscast at 10 p.m., seven days a week, on the CW.

The CW will be found on cable channel it is the result of a merger between UPN and the WB. Maryland Lockheed wins NASA rocket contract WASHINGTON NASA on Thursday gave a multibillion dollar contract to build a manned lunar spaceship to Lockheed Martin the aerospace leader that usually builds unmanned rockets. The last time NASA awarded a manned spaceship contract to Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, was in 1996 for a spaceplane that was supposed to replace the space shuttle. NASA spent $912 million and the ship, called X-33, never got built because of technical problems. The nation's space agency chose Lockheed Martin, the biggest government aerospace and defense contractor, to build the Orion crew exploration vehicle, which is once again supposed to replace the space shuttle fleet, take astronauts to the moon and perhaps on to Mars.

The only other competitor for the contract was a team made up of Northrop Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co. Washington Mortgage rates fall WASHINGTON Rates on 30-year mortgages fell for a sixth consecutive week, providing home buyers with more relief from an earlier rise in rates. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dipped to 6.44 percent this week, down from 6.48 percent last week. That was the lowest level for 30-year mortgages since they averaged 6.43 percent the first week in April Rates on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, averaged 6.14 percent this week, down from 6.18 percent last week.

For one-year adjustable-rate mortgages, rates dipped to 5.59 percent down from 5.60 percent last week. Rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 6.11 percent this week, down from 6.14 percent last week. The Associated Press By Martin Crut singer dclmarvaNCcom Get stock quotes online For stock market quotes updated every 15 minutes, visit wvvwJDelmarvaNow.com. nearly four years. That increase in inflation is above the Fed's comfort level for annual price gains of 1 percent to 2 percent.

In minutes of its August meeting released this week, the Fed described its decision to pause in its rate hikes as a "close call" Some economists believe the Fed will remain on hold at its September meeting but other analysts argue that further rate increases will be needed because inflation will remain at unac-ceptably high levels. Consumer spending is closely watched by economists before it accounts for two-thirds of overall economic growth. The government reported Wednesday that the economy slowed to an annual growth rate of 2.9 percent in the spring, down from a 5.3 percent surge in the first three months of the year, reflecting a sharp slowdown in consumer spending. The Conference Board reported this week that consumer confidence dropped in August to the lowest level since last November. Expiration Open High Low Settle Chg sumers continued spending in August with the nation's big chain stores showing solid gains during the all-important back-to-school shopping period despite high energy prices and a cooling housing market Meanwhile, another report showed that orders to American factories fell in July by 0.6 percent, the biggest drop in three months, but the weakness was centered in a big drop in commercial aircraft, a category that is extremely volatile from month to month.

"Although consumer sentiment has deteriorated, consumers are still spending," said Nigel Gault, an economist at Global Insight, a private forecasting firm. A gauge of inflation tied to spending showed that consumer prices, excluding energy and food, have risen by 2.4 percent over the past 12 months, the fastest rate of increase in 5,000 bu minimum- cents per bushel CORN WASHINGTON Consumers boosted their spending by the largest amount in six months and the back-to-school shopping season also got off to a strong start this summer. Those two developments, released Thursday, offered hope that the current economic slowdown may be less severe than some had feared, notwithstanding a separate report showing a drop in orders to U.S. factories. The Commerce Department reported that spending in July rose by a healthy 0.8 percent last month, double the 0.4 percent gain in June Incomes also were up, rising by 0.5 percent in July, reflecting stronger wage growth.

A separate report indicated that con 232 3 248 3Vd 227 243 232 'A 248 Vd 257 262 3 263 272V4 267VM 282 276VU 287V? 283 P97V2 292 Sep 06 228 Dec 06 2444 Mar 07 259V May 07 268 Jul 07 278 Ml Sep 07 285 Dec 07 294 Mar 08 302V May 08 312V Jul 08 316 Sep 08 316V4 Dec 08 3144k Jul 09 329 307 302 312 272 3 281 3V) 287 21 297 2 307 24 312 3 317V 111 317 3 317 24 329 3 331 1 312 318 314 317VS 315 314 318 329 329 331 328 Dec 09 328 Est. Sales 198,249 Wad's sales 239,1 18 wed open tnt.t,3ia,44a ung. -wo OATS The Day on Wall Street 184 177 182 5 193 1864 1904 44 198 194 198 44 201 201 201 4 203 203 203 4 201 201 201 203 203 203 1 203 203 203 1 203 203 203 1 Sep 06 177 Dec 06 187 Mar 07 194 May 07 201 Jul 07 203 Sep 07 201 Dec 07 203 May 08 203 SeoOB 203 Aug. 31,2006 Dow Jones industrials Est. Sales 2,088 Wed sales 1.515 Wed open mU 0.251 Chg.

-193 SOYBEANS 11.750 11 .500 I 11,000 -V 1 10,750 10.500 11,381.15 MAY JUN JUL AUG High Low Record high: 11.722.98 11,405.32 11,369.78 Jan. 14, 2000 543 5374 542V 558 551 5554 570 5634 569V 581 576 580 -4 591 586 591 602 597 601 605 604 604 -1 610 610 610 2 621 615 618 -1 623 621V 623 -1 647 647 647 -3 656 650 653 -1 Sep 06 541 Nov 06 555 Jan 07 568 Mar 07 561 May 07 591 Jul 07 601 Aug 07 605 Sep 07 610 Nov 07 620 Jan 08 621V Jul 08 647 NovOS 656 Pet change from previous: rose 10 cents to $44.72, while Limited gained 54 cents, or 2.14 percent, to trade at $25.73. Federated rose 51 cents to $3758. Ford Motor Co. said it is considering the sale of all or part of its Aston Martin luxury brand as the automaker works to generate cash for its North American turnaround plan.

Shares were up 10 cents, or 1.21 percent, to $8.37. Dow Chemical Co. gained 23 cents to $38.13 after announcing plans to close several plants outside the United States to trim annual operating costs by $160 million. The company plans to book a third-quarter charge of $550 million to $650 million. The Associated Press What drove the day's trading Wall Street ended an aimless session barely lower Thursday after investors shrugged off comments about productivity by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and awaited the government's August employment report The major indexes ended August with gains.

With Bernanke saying little to inspire the market in light pre-holiday trading, investors decided against making any major moves. What analysts say didn't think any major market moving number came out, everything was in line with what was expected," said David Est. Sates 73.893 Wad's sales 85,777 Wed's open iL3S996 Chg. -1 166 WHPAT 405 395 BV2 424 414 422V 54 442 432 439 2 graphic How stocks reacted Several retailers posted strong same-store sales in August, the crucial back-to-school buying period. Wal-Mart Stores Ino, Limited Brands as well as Macy's and Bloomingdale's parent Federated Department Stores Inc.

posted gains. Wal-Mart 443 449V 54 446 455 6 Sep 06 3981 Dec 06 4164 Mar 07 435 May 07 444 Jul 07 449 Sep 07 457 Dec 07 4721 Jul 06 476 Dec 08 4844 Jul 09 485 Sowerby, chief market analyst at Loomis, Sayles Co. "We're not getting anything earth-moving out of a majority of the retail sales reports. And, as for Bernanke, there's been enough that's trickled out of the Fed for investors to feel there's a better chance for neutrality versus a month ago." 450 456 464 480 482 455 463 5 469 479 6V 3 481 475 483V 486 490 5 465 461 481 Est. Sates 81 .406 Wed's sales 83.606 Wed open irt.4S0.42B eng.

fue DILCERT By Scott Adams Lass dan tucfc-M dotvarad prim of branded S. Grade A raaoy-tD-oook ranged kom 56 to 82 arc pound Thursday. HAVE YOU BEEN HELPING ALICE UJITH HER SPORTS 1AETAPHORS? RErAErABER THAT YOU DRIVE FOR SHOU BUT YOU PICK UP THE SPARE FOR DOUGH. UE CAN KICK A FIELD GOAL IN THE NINTH INNING IF UJE USE A FULL-COURT PRESS. And the Genny Award goes to- Classrooms are the No.

1 germiest workplace, according to one study Classroom surfaces have the highest level of bacteria, University of Arizona researchers found. They have nearly 20 times more bacteria than those found in lawyers' offices, and seven times more than in doctors' offices. According to a new survey by The Clorox nearly two out of five parents said they've sent a sick child to school in the past year; while 14 percent have sent a child with a fever higher than 100 degrees. But those parents who stayed home with their sick children also paid a price Forty-five percent of parents missed up to six days of work last year to care for a sick child, and 36 percent lost wages. PERHAPS.

Thursday, Aug. SI, 2006 SALISBURY: Cash com S2-53. Contract com NA. Cash aoybsans $5 41. Contract soybeans NA.

Cash wheal 3 22 Contract whael NA- Cash barley NA. New crop barley NA Cash mio NA. Contract nab NA SEAFORD: Cash com t2 43 Contract com NA. Cash aoyuuum SS36. Contract soybeans NA Cash wheat 1357.

Contract wheal NA Cash barley $1 55 New crop barley NA. Cash mao NA. Contract mao NA PRINCESS ANNE: Cash com S2.53. Contract com NA BMOW HILL: Cash com 2-53 Contract com NA a The Assiated Press.