U.S. stocks end with modest gains ahead of Friday's jobs data

Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:06:03 (GMT)

U.S. stocks end with modest gains ahead of Friday's jobs data

U.S. stocks end a rocky session with modest gains as investors weigh
mixed economic data and congressional testimony on the Bear Stearns
bailout.

Liquidity crunch continues to eat into corporate dividends

BOSTON
More companies feeling the pressure of the credit turmoil are bolstering
their cash positions and scaling back dividend payouts to shareholders,
says Standard & Poor's.

In their prime? Distressed debt investors await bankruptcy wave

Distressed debt offers a big opportunity in a slowing economy, so long
as those investments are timed correctly.

Fed, Treasury defend bailout of Bear Stearns
Lawmakers open hearings into the dramatic rescue of Bear Stearns, with
top officials of the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department
defending their actions to save the Wall Street giant from bankruptcy.

Apple displaces Wal-Mart as top U.S. music seller

SAN FRANCISCO
Apple Inc. claims the title of the No. 1 music retailer in the United
States, citing new industry research figures that moved the iTunes Music
Store ahead of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.