MORNING BUSINESS MINUTE, WEDS., MAR. 15, 2006

The ten-year Treasury note yield fell to %4.69 percent from %4.77 percent, and that resulted in quite a few investors becoming more optimistic about the possibility of an end to interest rate hikes by the Fed. The results on wall street? Obvious. The Dow added +75.32 (+0.68%) to close at 11,151.34. The NASDAQ added +28.87 (+1.27%) and the S&P 500 added +13.35 (+1.04%) to finish at 1,297.48. Stocks of local interest turned in mostly positive numbers. Tyson Foods (TSN) added +1.53% to close at $13.26. JB Hunt (JBHT) lost -0.80% to close at $23.45. Acxiom (ACXM) added +1.15% to close at $26.30. Wal-Mart (WMT) added +0.60% to finish at $45.54. Alltell (AT) added +0.81% to finish at $65.58. We have quite a few economic figures out today. We`ll see February import-export prices along with last week`s crude oil inventories. We`ll also see January net foreign purchases and the Fed Beige Book. In terms of earnings today -- Lehman Brothers posts quarterly numbers. Overseas in Asia, the Nikkei rose half a percent to reach 16,316.86 at the mid-day break in Tokyo. The broader Topix rose +0.2%. Back in the U.S., in extended hours trading, the NASDAQ 100 Afterhours Indicator rose +1.41 (+0.08%) to close the night at 1,682.56.