C Cube Microsystems

Return on equity is a measure of profitability that's determined by dividing annual net profit by total shareholder equity. This list looks across two years and then takes an average. Each year's return is shown in the chart. This can be a valuable gauge of how well a company is investing its capital. Sales and income figures provide a sense of the size of the company's operations.

Computer designers have long struggled to integrate video images with the words, numbers and primitive graphics that normally appear on a computer screen. Such a marriage of computers and television would open up broad new technological horizons for businessmen and consumers alike, revolutionizing everything from film editing to game playing. And now, after several fitful moves toward the altar, it appears that the marriage made in technology heaven is ready to be consummated.

Stock prices jumped and bonds also rose Tuesday as investors cheered the Federal Reserve Board's decision to hold interest rates steady. The Dow Jones industrial average, which spent most of the session mired in the minus column, exploded in mid-afternoon trading to end with a gain of 74.58 points at 7,303.46. This was within striking distance of the record 7,333.55 set on Thursday.

A sudden plunge in long-term bond yields caused the stock market to reverse a steep decline and close mixed Wednesday, in one of the wildest days yet this year. The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 53.11 points at 5,474.06, after tumbling nearly 80 points in the morning. The Dow had closed at a three-month low Tuesday.

U.S. stocks rose to records for a third day Wednesday as investors grew more confident that corporate profits will expand next year as interest rates fall. Shares of banks and other financial companies led the advance. Expectations that the Federal Reserve Board will trim interest rates this month fueled optimism that the year-old rally in stocks still has room to grow.

Hughes Electronics Corp. said Monday that third-quarter earnings fell 18% as higher marketing costs more than offset rising subscriptions to its DirecTV satellite television service. The El Segundo-based satellite maker said net income fell to $42.9 million, or 11 cents a share, from $52.4 million, or 13 cents, in the year-ago period. The company was expected to earn 10 cents a share. Hughes, a unit of General Motors Corp., said the loss from its DirecTV unit widened to $61.8 million from $43.