BIZWATCH : MARKETS.MARKET LOGIC: The Dow Jones industrial average Dow Jones Industrial Average The best known U.S. index of stocks. A price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks, primarily industrials including stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange. snapped a three-session losing streak and the market steadied after a shaky opening, but stocks ended mostly lower as rising interest rates rattled fraying nerves. The Dow industrials rose 8.14 points, but it was another highly volatile day, with the blue-chip measure dropping 76 points at the open, rallying to a gain of more than 32, then retreating again. MEMO SEAT BELT PROBE: The government is investigating the construction of Chrysler mini-van seat belts, pushed by consumer complaints and thousands of warranty claims that indicate the belts sometimes fail to buckle or unbuckle or that they unlatch un·latch v. un·latched, un·latch·ing, un·latch·es v.tr. To unfasten or open by releasing the latch. v.intr. To become unfastened or opened. during driving. There are about 1.2 million of the 1991-93 Chrysler minivans on the road. There have been more than 110 complaints about the belts and one lawsuit involving a death, according to a monthly report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced "nit-suh") is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. . REGULATORY REFORMS: The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed regulatory reforms that could vastly reduce the paperwork and cost for companies selling stocks and bonds to the public. The proposal was recommended by an advisory committee on capital formation, which issued a report on ways to speed up the process companies use to register their securities with the SEC. The goal is to let companies move quickly to sell shares when market conditions are optimal, instead of waiting for bureaucrats' approval. DAVID AND GOLIATH David and Goliath are figures of a well-known tale in the Bible (1 Samuel 17, in most English language versions), wherein David, an Israelite shepherd-boy and future King of Israel. : Caldera Inc., the small software firm backed by Novell Inc. founder Ray Noorda, has filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft Corp. The suit accuses Microsoft of willfully willfully adv. referring to doing something intentionally, purposefully and stubbornly. Examples: "He drove the car willfully into the crowd on the sidewalk." "She willfully left the dangerous substances on the property." (See: willful) maintaining a monopoly over its operating software for personal computers through unlawful pricing, programming and licensing. Caldera seeks damages but did not state a specific amount.Caldera filed the suit in federal court Tuesday, a day before it acquired the DR-DOS A multitasking DOS-compatible operating system from DRDOS, Inc., Lindon, UT (www.drdos.com). DR-DOS is used in embedded systems, thin clients and bootable disks for antivirus recovery programs. operating system from Novell. STEALTH PRICING: With many consumers put off by the high cost of new cars and trucks, some automakers are becoming more secretive about their midyear price increases. When Ford Motor Co. raised prices for its popular Explorer sport utility vehicle and redesigned F-150 pickup by between $200 and $425 earlier this month, it did so without a public announcement. Only dealers were told. Industry analysts say that was the latest example of an apparent trend among automakers toward stealth pricing at midyear. HOME HIV TEST: A second test for the AIDS virus that Americans can take at home went on sale nationwide. Home Access Health Corp. of Hoffman Estates, Ill., began taking orders via a toll-free telephone number A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, or 800 number is a special telephone number, in that the called party is charged the cost of the calls by the telephone carrier, instead of the calling party. for its Home Access Express test kits Wednesday, two days after approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The kits let people take a blood sample at home, mail it to a laboratory and, three business days later, learn by telephone if they have HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. , the virus that causes AIDS. LOW-POWER RADIO: Federal regulators are nearing approval of a low-power radio service that could enable the use of devices to aid the hard-of-hearing, help police track stolen goods or transmit patients' vital signs to their doctors. The Federal Communications Commission Federal Communications Commission (FCC), independent executive agency of the U.S. government established in 1934 to regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest. expects to set the procedure in motion today by opening new frequencies to accommodate the service. The portable devices envisioned, probably inexpensive, would be as large as a Walkman or as small as a fitting over an ear and generally be used for short-range radio transmissions, the FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. said. CAPTION(S): 2 Charts Photo: (1--Color) DOW INDUSTRIALS (2--Color) BIZ FACTS T OP POLLUTERS Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning, 1994 Knight-Ridder Tribune Graphics Network |
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