The Lima News from Lima, Ohio • 28

D6 Wednesday eb 26 2003 BUSINESS The Lima News Union membership at lowest level in 3 decades BIZwatch executive council meeting AT A GLANCE: Consumers put oil spending as confidence plummets Market Measures VMtanlay' data provldad by The Aaaociatad Praia Stocks less than S2 a share not Included jOJ BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK! nxn news services 1 INDEXES STOCKS LOCAL INTEREST CHICAGO COMMODITIES Russen 2000 Wdstwne5000 ftM B78 MB S60H 4 SOI SM 4T3 205 lionaire Edward Uinipeit and New York based Third Avenue Trust will invest up to $'153 mil lion in exchange for stock ac cording to the documents Kmartwiid ESL which holds Chanft341599 omy will be in Economists closely track consumer confidence because consumer spending accounts for two thirds of US economic activity and consumer spend ing has propped up the econ omy since the country dipped into recession in 2001 Lately there have been concerns about a possible second dip Sara Travis 40 went TYies day to a Best Buy store in ranklin Tenn to buy a CD game for her 11 year old daughter She passed by the Do you have a stock of local Merest that you would 0 to too printed hare lady? The Um News would Ike to boar from you Preference wM bo then to companlM wtth rational opor ations To aubm a suMaatlon ptet Sat the ceaany Ns ticker earns and an eeptanaUon why you think A should bo kichidod EnaN ouoeetions to twMomsSmanewscom or fax them to News editor Tom WWams at (419) 229 2SM Me 72 301 2 301 tn Thf transnnrtatinn inrtiictru is the most unionized In the pri vate sector inance insurance and real estate jobs are the least unionized in the private sector The most unionized states are New York 253 percent Hawaii 244 percent Alaska 243 percent and'Michigan 211 percent The least unionized states are North Carolina at 32 per cent and South Carolina at 49 percent They have had the low est rates each year since 1983 The national news channels ran a 'tory not long ago that said there is only a 4 weeksupply of homes on the market right now In the same story they reported that the national average for moitgage loans was 57' Although that is the national average rates may be higher or lower by the time you read this column PARTNERSHIP NBC Westwood One announce partnership NEW YORK NBC News and Westwood One are team ing up to produce NBC News Radio hourly news updates that feature NBC and MSNBC journalists including Tom Brokaw Brian Williams and John Seigenthaler The companies said Tuesday that the one minute reports will be fed hourly each week day between 6 am and 10 pm EST with additional reports during breaking news events as well as sportscasts features and entertainment feeds The updates which begin on March 31 will be available to Westwood more than 7500 affiliates although not all are expected to carry the service irv han 50 percent of Kmart stock alter its reorganization ESL oversees $5 billion in holdings Lampert has been listed by orbes magazine as the second richest person in Connecticut worth more than $800 million most 15 points in ebruary to 640 its lowest reading since October 1993 the Conference Board reported 'Tuesday Americans cited the prospect of war as a cause for new cau tion in spending very tentative about big purchases and investments and vacations" said Mike Medici 46 an architect from Phoenix feel the economy will get better but right now everyone is tentative because of the war The longer the war is in limbo the longer our econ sumer confidence was headed lower said Douglas Porter se nior economist at Nesbitt Bums Securities of Chicago Consumer confidence hit bot tom in January 1991 exactly when the war started It had a euphoric bounce of more than 20 points between' ebruary and March at the end of the war then started to fade again after about six months mitted last month which in cludes a discussion of the events leading up to its bankruptcy and a summary of its reorgani zation plan Approval of the statement by the court will allow Kmart to solicit votes from creditors on its plan ESL InvestmenLs Inc a hedge OOD Virginia OKs oysters for Chesapeake Bay NEWPORT NEWS Va Virginia officials Tuesday ap proved putting a million Asian oysters into the Chesapeake Bay despite concerns that the experiment to save the belea guered seafood industiy could goawiy Harvests of the native oyster have slumped badly largely because of disease The Virginia Seafood Council wants to put batches of Asian in Virginia waters to determine if they can be grown processed and sold eco nomically Harvests of the native oys ter fell from about 4 million bushels per year in the 1950s to last 20000 bushels Watermen will tend the thumbnail sized Asian oysters in secured mesh bags and cages for up to 24 months while they grow I he important thing to remember is that the housing mirkvt "HOf!" A met leans arv plat ing more emphasis on home and family these das placing iiHiedibk demand on the existing housing Mipply In some instant buyers are competing with each other for the same house bidding even more than the asking price Homes are in short supply If you really plan to buy a home be prepared to act when you find the place That means securing a mortgage loan commitment before beginning your home 'search It also means being prepared to make a purchase offer on the spit and write a check for the earnest money deposit' Each of thesg actions assures a successful purchase Regardless of what been reading about the national economy one thing stands out it's a great time 4o buy a home Be ready! Riwitu to buy' IVc'n rrndv hcli! Ciiv us a call al 4H 222 212 or hv vio I'lficc al Si'iiitt'iitT KJ WALL STREET Despite war fears stocks climb NEW YORK Wall Street shrugged off a discouraging consumer confidence report Tuesday and sent stocks mod estly higher as investors placed bets after several days of declines The Dow rose 5126 or 07 percent to close at 790950 having declined 159 points Monday its biggest one day Iom in nearly a month Earlier in the day blue chip stocks dropped to 771964 the low est level since Oct 10 when they finished at 753395 4W 47V4 ederated reports 4th quarter profit CINCINNATI ated Department Stores Inc said Tuesday! had a profit in the fourth quarter despite sluggish sales and appointed a new chief executive The Cincinnati based re tailer whose stores include and also raised its earnings expec tation for 2003 even though it expects same store sales to be flat to down 15 percent ederated earned $341 mil lion or $178 per share in the fourth quarter ended eb 1 compared with a loss of $447 million or $223 per share a year ago which included costs associated with the sale of the ingerhut catalog business ship has dropped steadily since years since the data first was recorded in 1983 when 201 percent of the J44' 2M1 MJ 41 IW'I mla ID 14 IM IM 4 221 2D11 Planning to buy a home? Arc you sure? If ou answered be sure to bring your checkbook There's nly one 'ay to buy a home take action big ticket items like televisions that of late 1990 and early 1991 definitely spending when the country was in its Travis said guess we first war with Iraq energy just know going to prices had just spiked and con nappen wnn tne economy Everything is so up and down right The last time consumer con fidence dropped as low the country was slowly recovering from the 1991 recession The difference was that in 1993 consumer confidence was on the upswing The current economic situa tion more closely resembles KJ aeo 7710 B7 UK 4 7300 MIS 704ft MP03 Aug 03 WHAT OecOft iwi 3M 700 Ma3 740 CATTLX AjxOJ bO3 394ft OOD Mountain Dew Sprite unveil flavors ATLANTA Sprite and Mountain Dew are getting a twist Coca Cola Co announced Tuesday that it will launch Sprite Remix a new flavor of its lemon lime soft drink At the same time rival Pepsi Cola Co said it will roll out or ange flavored Mountain Dew LiveWire Sprite Remix which will have a tropical flavor is sched uled to appear in late spring Mountain Dew LiveWire will be offered in the United States from Memorial Day through Labor Day In recent years the soda gi ants have used exten as an avenue for new growth Atlanta based Coca Cola introduced Diet Coke with Lemon and Vanilla Coke Pepsi unveiled Mountain Dew Code Red and its own lemon cola Pepsi Twist SILVER 14 Qub MtiiWTv A MiifflTMft (hniy ditfy QUOtiH4 KV) trr tn i More fptft TuC nut avwflftte at almost 24 percent But that industiy along with hotels and tourism have been heavily battered since the 2001 ter rorist attacks accounting for some of the union decline Sweeney said The faetriripa have show the real 02 percent drop lost 19 million jobs in the last assessed dustrial unions say the job Union leaders in lorida this losses are reaching crisis lev 403 I3W WtQ BOM Ampl 'M K60 AQ47 40 re MM GOLD Baud a Harris i ft up 1 1 i ti ft 30 Ba th jA 4 jj tn Tuy pQ off 704 330'4 M2 303 320 2M' Details about union member Two fifths of police firefight ship in the United States: era and other protective services Men are more likely to be jobs are union uinmi nieuiuers man women xo ine trans percent to 116 percent Blacks at 169 percent are more likely to be in a union than whites at 13 percent or Hispan ics at 111 percent Nearly four in 10 government workers are union members compared to less than one in 10 private sector workers The union membership rate for government workers has held steady since 1983 The union membershio rate i fallen by nearly half since 1983 CIOM 42488 83857 Kmart to keep focus on national brands promotional pricing DETROIT Kmart Corp plans to use promotional pricing and its exclusive brands which currently include the Mart ha Stewart Everyday line 1 1 nite is hi ns and Jex Boxer clothing to help it succeed in the discount retail market In court documents released Tuesday at federal hankniptev mrt in Chicago where Kmart fund owned by Connecticut mil representaiives appeared tor a hearing 'the company offered more details of its plans for emerging from Chapter 1 1 bankruptcy protection "Kmart believes it can best maximizcits performance and about 16 billion in unsecured improve its market posit ion by debt claims and Third Avenue continuing to focus bn driving which holds about $178 million profitable sales growth con in claims could have slightly ironing cois ana sireamnning overnead the company said in i he documents The company expects to re urn to profitability in 2004 Kmart this week is seeking court approval of its revised 'dis closure statement initially sub By REBECCA GOMEZ The Associated Press NEW YORK Consumer confidence plunged in ebru ary to its lowest level in nearly 1 0 years dragged down by the weak job market and the prospect of war with Iraq Worried about the future people reduced impulse spend ing and many big purchases One bright spot in the dark pic lire low interest rates kept home sales booming The widely watched Con sumer Confidence Index fell al BylEIGIISTROPE The Assodaied Press HOLLYWOOD la Union membership dropped last year to the lowest level in al most two decades as manufac turing companies hemorrhaged traditional union jobs faster than organizers could build new membership in other areas Some 132 percent of Amer work force belonged to unions in 2002 down from 134 percent in 2001 the Labor De partment reported Tuesday "Weaker union membership numbers are grim news for the entire said AL CIO President John Sweeney He foe private industry workers has said unions increase produc fallen by nearly half since 1983 tivity economic stability and economic status The rate of union member has never increased in the 19 cording to the revised system to i Labor Department econo Previous years were not re two years The AL in trusts usea new metnoos in nssesseo work force belonged to a compiling this data Union leaders in lorida this losses are reaching crisis lev union In fact the annual rate adjusted the 2001 statistics ac week for the AL CIO's winter els and have joined forces to DOW NNtS STOCK AVERAGES Naim Clou Chanf Transportation JjJ 24 Utilities 200 15 65 Starts 1688 SSP AVERAGES Nranu 100 Stocks 500 Slocks Industrials Transportation Unities nanoal OTHER MEASURES Nm Oom ChanM 361 20 2 98 794939 54 33 executive council meeting increase their political and lob countered with a new labor fi byingpower nanced poll that found half of The labor movement sees po respondents saying they would tential for growth in some of join a union if given the chance the AL largest affiliate Andy Stem president of the unions SEIU the American Service Employees Interna ederation of State County tional Union the largest AL and Municipal Employees and CIO affiliate with 15 million the Hotel Employees and workers suggested that in an Restaurant Employees era of corporate scandals work SEIU is having success in ers "see unions as a positive California by organizing home voice against corporate health care workers and jani Transportation had the tors across the country A highest rate of unionized SCME is organizing govern workers in the private sector ment workers at all levels across tne country including Los Angeles County psychiatric social workers HERE is focus ing on immigrant workers ffThe big challenge is whether these labor leaders can think outside the box to fig ure out a way to pull in said Thomas Geoghegan a labor lawyer and author of the book Side are You On? Trying to be for Labor When lat on its Semon fap Vol High Low Srttlft Qg COWU Mar May 03 Mar 03 OATS 403 220 Dec 03 13 May 03 22S3 SOYBEANS REAL ESTATE ROM BEV COWAN SWEENEY PRESIDENT COWAN pD REALTORS i rri UKA TOR TEN MOST ACTIVE TOR TEN MOST ACTIVE TOP TEN MOST ACTIVE VouP ul ow Num Volumu lt On Nunra Volume Ut CM NortelNw 45409 500 205 02 NasdIOOTr 70870600 2477 03 Cisco 81143800 1408 34 AOLTW 25240200 1043 37 SPUR 55158400 8447 67 McmsoTtS 66898300 2419 12 Gefiflec 24019800 2398 56 DJWDum 8019700 7933 62 Wei 57017700 1673 19 Pfizer 20572000 2869 01 SartHTr 6060400 2283 07 SunMicrd 46389300 3 45 03 HomeDp 20084000 22 84 66 GreyWofl 5995600 4 43 Oracle 46119200 1194 12 EMCCp 19612400 7 68 J4 DevonE 5155700 4920 90 ApMMatl 28455900 1265 17 AMd 18928900 3 44 72 ChlSvHT 3631700 5820 L10 ItodelC 23812900 1395 57 ElPasoCp 17123000 500 45 Nabors 3413500 41 10 90 BEA Sys 23810600 9 61 38 NotaaCp 17088000 1328 45 iShRs2000 1329000 7186 65 DeSCptr 21837900 26 51 13 Cffigrp 15616900 3289 46 AMAsPac 1278000 491 JDS Unipt) 20801500 285 02 TOPTENGUNERS TOP TEN GAINERS TOP TEN GAMERS 7 Nrane Urt CM CM Nrane Lett Chi CM Neme Lt Chi CtiI HeilnTel 780 190 322 PaxsnC 230 18 85 Isramc 392 73 229 Broadwing 469 65 161 OdeansIC 789 59 81 Sangfln 313 53 204 KCS En 294 39 153 Aerocntry 277 20 78 Tomin 975 1 65 20 4 EPasEpt 1765 190 12 1 CanttxyPk 1550 100 69 GuttdPti 3 38 51 178 EPasoCp 500 45 99 SheP3 5850 350 64 tyioptic 449 53 134 GomeHCos 780 69 97 Cyberpnln 5 95 35 63 ADECp 659 74 126 Unifi 546 47 94 OlaoArt 1595 95 63 TetraNlwk 5 66 61 121 ButtTch 505 40 86 HiShearT 233 13 59 MhCst 630 67 119 Csapn 1624 129 86 AlansMed 851 44 55 EngnSups 3578 369 11 5 BrdwpfB 315 245 85 SCEdpfD 13 94 67 50 knageS 445 46 115 TOP TEN LOSERS TOP TEN LOSERS TOP TEN LOSERS Name Leri ChiChl Nane It CM ChI Neme Lt CM CM AnnuityU 76 209 733 sl Traxn 215 30 122 PtWcafen 240 84 25 9 lemng '185 412 377 Senratr 255 35 121 Dndreon 447 1 32 228 Ahold 344 72 173 ImptntSc 260 35 119 DigtMd 211 59 219 PrydUK 1048 218 VIGrpn 475 104" 310 80 20 5 Cryolite 726 1 28 150 AMCON 390 40 93 CTCom 721 1 79 199 BayetAG 1337 207 134 MeasSpci 2 80 25 82 Overstkn 1485 326 180 Amencdl 208 24 103 Decorah 509 44 80 Transcat 165 35 175 TelArgen 5 29 53 9 1 Depomed 245 21 79 VaxGen 571 115 168 Enodis 252 25 90 Halifax 300 24 74 Port360 216 28 115 EBrasAero 953 87 84 Meditastn 4 30 30 65 QuoXingn 243 31 11 3 MARKET DIARY MARKET DIARY MARKET DIARY Name Lt Name Laet Name Leet Advanced 1881 Advanced 385 Advanced 1666 Declined 1355 Declined 394 Decined 1516 Unchanged 193 Unchanged 111 Unchanged 553 Total issues 3429 Total Issues 890 Total issues 3735 New Highs 43 New Highs 14 New Highs 62 NewLows 168 NewLows 20 New lows 113 INDEX INDEX INDEX 7 1R Close 471338 Close 828 58 Close 132898 High 471609 066 High 82923 660 High 133135 Low 462393 Low 82065 Low 129196 52 WggK High Low Stock Tlckt Dlvd Yld PE Lit Chg Chf 4890 1510 AnwflecPot AEP 140 10 21 26 16 222 53 98 34 67 BdW PtWexn 8P 160 4 0 39 60 20 26 42 88 31 60 Beni One ONE 84 2 4 13 35 66 22 24 0 3330 21 18 8otEvm B06E 4 19 11 2318 36 07 020 2650 BuCkryePOtl BPt 250 69 14 3601 1 19 62 0 34 10 1954 CiKWBM C6RL 02 1 14 2620 79 130 410 25 09 CSXCorp CSX 40 15 13 26 59 28 61 2610 2 25 Coopariire CTB 2 2 9 9 11 21 09 69 50 88 2581 CNysler Corj OCX 88 29 3016 10 1 6 23 22 8 66 On Con DCN 04 4 9 23 38 21 5 6706 350 Oomnon Rsarcs 9 2 58 4 6 12 56 14 37 23 0 3 73 102 EUrtrwi EBSC 224 06 244 428 23 51 ftrtl Stores 2554 72 112 0 69 70 512 MhThrt ITB 104 1 9 19 5353 14 86 823 6 90 HrtMonrCii 40 5 0 8 08 21 131 111 18 6130 'GwOynima GO 120 2 0 14 61 15 75 23 0 66 17 30 80 Generl Motos GM 2 00 5 9 10 33 65 37 67 28 85 3 14 GooGyMr GT 4 10 04 39 8 56 50 39 00 HarieyO H0 14 3 21 40 30 70 128 31 82 2414 HuMCmREU HCN 2 34 91 17 25 60 56 54 5260 2010 HomDtM HO 20 15 2264 66 49 23 85 1640 HoMiO MIC 13 1 1818 27 07 895 5 48 HuhyCoqi HU 640 09 72 0 21 27 1600 HuntognnBwc WAN 64 3 4 13 18 90 18 10 108 85 54 01 BM SM 60 8 38 79 07 51 20 76 83 44 00 IONS ASS 30 49 34 144 III 2234 1091 MW ITO 40 3 6 II 11 11 06 20 2 4999 3250 IMH LOW 10 3 21 36 62 52 30 30 00 1882 USXMnlwi URO 92 4 1 14 22 52 03 58 29 4 3 1668 Mon MGaMt US 56 3 0 14 1 8 40 00 126 30 72 13 16 MdtoWftCo HOD 24 18 4) 1315 12 182 46 00 3700 NSRyfX HSRp 2 60 5 8 44 50 92 54 88 34 52 PlUMtorfti PH 76 11 34 039 06 124 25 70 14 07 XPwey 25 15 20 06 128 28 35 1300 PWX PCO 2471 52 112 M75 74 08 Pigcto 6 G4Mk PG 164 2 0 24 83 00 19 83 31 55 19 74 MpitAingMi REY 4 15 2410 22 44 5990 1971 Sen Roeturt 5 02 41 4 2141 08 105 0 2300 1725 SWedT SK 20 4 0 1) 20 06 16 01 12 84 4 59 SpMon SN 5 58 04 117 1751 6 65 Son TON 50 18 10 1112 44 6360 32 20 Tote TXT 14 3634 51 lii 2568 14 54 live Muttra TRN 24 1 5 16 52 42 129 4211 25 67 in in 171 40 11 42 55 to 116 0 ISM 10( IM80H UGOH 44 1 1 1151 25111 462 IM VMC WO IM 03 16 ti 5116 CBS (Wampwsti mi a Nit 25 100 6364 4156 WI UM WMT 20 6 27 4841 76 41 4160 2420 wwrrw wn 24 10 11 2446 05 4 6 UK an XaRW 136' 16 4660 14 40 0 1565 MMMUMP WU 21 14 1071 40 NYSE Issues AMEX Issues NASDAQ Issued INDEXES STOCKS LOCAL INTEREST CHICAGO COMMODITIES.