improve
frames- An index of economic activity drawn * from the survey stood last month at 47.6 % ; a reading above 50 % would have indicated that [ARG1 the manufacturing sector] was [rel improving] .
- Armstrong , which *T*-127 has faced a takeover threat from the Belzberg family of Canada since July , said that [ARG0 * disposing of the carpet business] [ARGM-MOD would] [rel improve] `` [ARG1 total financial performance] . ''
- [ARG1 National Market System volume] [rel improved] to [ARG4-to 94,425,000 shares] from [ARG3-from 71.7 million Monday] .
- [ARG0 The manufacturers] said 0 14.2 % of their spending is designed *-1 to [rel improve] [ARG1 products] or add new ones , 17.5 % is * to cut costs , 12.5 % is for research and development , and the rest is for maintenance and other purposes .
- [ARG0 The move] rewards shareholders and [ARGM-MOD should] [rel improve] [ARG1 the stock 's liquidity] , Oneida said 0 *T*-1 .
- Spiegel said 0 [ARG1 margins] [rel improved] [ARGM-PRP because its inventory position *PPA*-1 this year did n't need the costly markdowns required * * to trim last year 's swollen levels] .
- [ARGM-DIS Indeed] , the DLJ banker says 0 *T*-1 , [ARGM-LOC in the reborn capital structure] [ARG1 cash coverage of interest] `` [ARGM-MOD will] [ARGM-MNR meaningfully] [rel improve] . ''
- Recent surveys by Leo J. Shapiro & Associates , a market research firm in Chicago , suggest that Sears is having a tough time *-1 attracting shoppers because [ARG0 it] has n't yet done enough * to [rel improve] [ARG1 service or its selection of merchandise] .
- [ARG1 Apple Computer] [rel improved] [ARG2-EXT 7\/8] to [ARG2-to 47 5\/8] ; Intel slipped 1\/4 to 33 1\/4 , and Valley National Corp. was up 1\/8 to 15 1\/8 .
- Manville Corp. said 0 it offered *-1 to buy $ 500 million *U* of its convertible preferred stock from the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust in [ARG0 a move] that *T*-2 [ARGM-MOD would] [rel improve] [ARG1 the trust 's liquidity] and reduce the potential number of Manville shares outstanding .
- Manville said 0 [ARG0 it] made the offer within the past several weeks as part of an effort * to [rel improve] [ARG1 shareholder value] .
- [ARG1 Texaco 's exploration and production earnings] [rel improved] [ARGM-PRP as a result of its streamlining of those operations as it sold many of its marginal producing properties over the past 18 months] .
- [ARG1 Overseas exploration and production results] [ARGM-DIS also] [rel improved] [ARGM-PRP because of additional output from the North Sea Magnus Field , a portion of which *T*-2 was acquired *-1 by Sun earlier this year] .
- [ARG1 Profits] [rel improved] [ARGM-LOC across Hess 's businesses] .
- [ARGM-ADV Though the bank is n't performing as well as some of its competitors in the lucrative California market] , [ARG1 its condition] has [rel improved] [ARGM-TMP since Mr. Decker took over] .
- Mr. Bryant and other analysts hope 0 all those moves will combine *-1 to help [ARG1 Tandy 's results] [rel improve] [ARGM-TMP in the important Christmas quarter] .
- Analysts expect [ARG1 Federal 's earnings] to [rel improve] [ARGM-TMP again] [ARGM-TMP in its fiscal third quarter ending Feb. 28 , when the company should begin *-2 benefiting from Tiger 's extra flights , back-up planes and landing rights *T*-1] .
- Mr. Stein said 0 tighter operating controls have enabled [ARG0 Ekco] to reduce inventory levels 25 % to 30 % *U* ; [rel improve] [ARG1 on-time delivery of orders] to [ARG4-to about 95 %] from [ARG3-from around 70 %] ; and to lower the number of labor hours required * *-1 to produce a unit .
- DEC said 0 [ARG1 its overseas business , which *T*-1 now accounts for more than half of sales ,] [rel improved] [ARGM-TMP in the quarter] .
- `` [ARG0 We] 've done a lot *-2 to [rel improve] [ARG1 -LRB- U.S. . -RRB- results] and a lot more will be done *-1 , '' Mr. Mark said .
- However , he noted that steel mill bookings are up from early summer levels , and that he expects [ARG0 the company] to [rel improve] [ARG1 its cost performance] [ARGM-TMP in the fourth quarter] .
- Westmoreland Coal Co. , *-1 realizing benefits of a sustained effort * to cut costs and boost productivity , reported [ARGM sharply] [rel improved] third-quarter results .
- He predicted 0 [ARG1 the debt ratio] [ARGM-MOD will] [rel improve] [ARGM-EXT further] [ARGM-TMP in coming quarters] .
- `` [ARG0 We] have *-1 to keep *-2 working at *-3 [rel improving] [ARG1 our core business] *-1 to stay efficient .
- [ARG1 The index of smaller banks] [rel improved] [ARG2-EXT 1.97] .
- Microsoft 's surge followed a report this week of [ARGM substantially] [rel improved] earnings for its first quarter , ended Sept. 30 .
- Paul Fireman , Reebok chairman and chief executive officer , said , `` Our gains in earnings provide further evidence that [ARG0 the controls 0 we have put *T*-1 in place and our sales mix] are continuing *-2 to [rel improve] [ARG1 the company 's overall profit performance] . ''
- The company said 0 it expects [ARG1 sales] to [rel improve] [ARGM-PRP due to a number of new products , including a `` pump '' basketball shoe that *T*-2 can be inflated *-1 *-3 to better fit the foot] .
- [ARGM-ADV For the first time in nearly two years] , [ARG1 BankAmerica results] failed *-1 to [rel improve] [ARGM-TMP in consecutive quarters] , but the decline from the second quarter was attributable to special factors .
- [ARG1 Shareholder equity] [rel improved] to [ARG4-to 4.68 %] from [ARG3-from 4.23 %] [ARGM-TMP in the previous quarter] .
- In Armonk , N.Y. , a spokesman said that although IBM did n't view its spending as necessarily a way 0 * to support the stock *T*-1 , [ARG0 it] thought 0 the purchases were a good way 0 * to [rel improve] [ARG1 such financial measurements as per-share earnings and return on equity] *T*-2 .
- Arkla Inc. said that as part of [ARG0 a program] 0 *T*-1 to [rel improve] [ARG1 profitability] it will take a total of $ 189 million *U* in after-tax charges by year end .
- But that signal on full-year profit casts doubt on whether [ARG0 Dow] [ARGM-MOD will] [rel improve] on [ARG1-on its year-ago fourth-quarter net of $ 3.44 *U* a share , or $ 635 million *U*] .
- Mr. Connolly noted that [ARG1 net third-quarter charge-offs , at $ 63 million *U* ,] [rel improved] [ARGM-EXT slightly] from [ARG3-from the $ 67 million *U* in the second quarter] .
- [ARG0 It] has been trying *-1 to [rel improve] [ARG1 its share of the residential market] .
- We think 0 revenue will continue *-1 to grow and that [ARG0 we] [ARGM-MOD can] control costs and [ARGM-DIS thus] [rel improve] [ARG1 profitability] . ''
- `` We 've done [ARG0 a lot] * to [rel improve] [ARG1 -LCB- U.S. . -RCB- results] , and a lot more will be done *-1 , '' Mr. Mark said *T*-2 .
- `` [ARG0 *] [rel Improving] [ARG1 profitability of U.S. operations] is an extremely high priority in the company . ''
- But favorable earnings was n't a guarantee that [ARG1 a stock 's price] [ARGM-MOD would] [rel improve] [ARGM-TMP yesterday] .
- CoreStates Financial slipped 3\/8 to 43 1\/8 in active trading after *-1 reporting that [ARG1 third-quarter earnings] [rel improved] to [ARG4-to $ 1.27 *U* a share] from [ARG3-from $ 1.15 *U* a share] a year earlier .
- In the year ended Jan. 31 , Pace rang up profit of $ 9.4 million *U* , or 72 cents a share , after a tax-loss carry-forward , on sales of $ 1.3 billion *U* , and analysts expect [ARG1 its results] to continue *-1 to [rel improve] .
- Herbert M. Sandler , chairman and chief executive officer of the Oakland , Calif. , savings-and-loan holding company , credited [ARG0 the high number of loans added * to the company 's portfolio over the last 12 months] for *-1 broadening its earning asset base and [rel improving] [ARG1 profit performance] .
- `` Times Co. 's regional daily newspapers are holding up well , but there is little sign that [ARG1 things] [ARGM-MOD will] [rel improve] in the New York market , '' said *T*-1 Alan Kassan , an analyst with Shearson Lehman Hutton .
- [ARG0 The program] is aimed *-1 at * [rel improving] [ARG1 the quality of printed material] .
- [ARG1 Our bookings] [rel improved] [ARGM-TMP as the quarter progressed] and September was especially good .