Prices Quotations | Page 5

We're going to continue to do what's right for the growth of the business. Our pricing strategy is not to maximize margin percentage growth but to maximize buying for our customers, ... As we grow, we'll be able to get better economies of scale, better prices from our suppliers and our third-party sellers. All that should help margins.

We expect, within the next few weeks, things should return to where they are normally. It's getting there, and I would say the prices we're hoping to be in the $1.99 a pound range this week.

We're expecting oil prices to continue to come down. They're now about $60. We expect to be down around $50 by the end of the year.

We're finding it harder now to find attractive (energy) deals. It was a great time to buy energy companies when oil prices were $25 a barrel. By definition, it's a harder time to do energy deals.

We're facing the realization that rising (interest) rates and rising stock prices are incompatible. The higher rates are really starting to make themselves felt.

The extent and pace of recovery of Asian economies currently experiencing a severe downturn will have important ramifications for prices of energy and other commodities, the strength of the dollar, and competitive conditions on world product markets,

The CPI captured the center stage as it's the biggest one-month increase in 25 years, ... We certainly know why, with energy prices having skyrocketed.

The fact is that (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) has the capacity now, in OPEC, to reduce production, which increases (the price of oil). That means that prices for New Hampshire residents for home heating oil go up,

The problem with Super Bowl advertising now is that companies feel they have to do it because it's their only chance to reach a mass audience. Prices continue to rise even though the usefulness of the ads have diminished.

There are a lot of cross-currents going this week. Bond prices have been falling sharply, but it hasn't seemed to help stocks. Then you've got all the earnings pretty much coming in in-line but not providing many surprises.