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That boosted Austin Peay Governors demand for shares of companies that

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That boosted shares Austin Peay Governors demand for apsu basketball schedule devises shares of companies that seemed to have a good shot at outpacing a weak economy. At the same time, bank and brokerage stocks were hammered by the credit squeeze and fears of rising defaults on high-risk mortgages and other dicey loans. Financial stocks have long been one of the mainstay sectors of value investing because of their typically low price-to-earnings ratios. Funds that focus exclusively on financial stocks were among the biggest losers in the third quarter, falling 3. 6% on average, according to Morningstar. They were down 3. 1% for the nine months. Another classic value sector that has struggled this year: real estate-oriented funds, which mainly own shares of real estate investment trusts. The group was down 3%, on average, in the nine months. The rush to growth stocks was a global affair in the third quarter. Foreign large-cap growth funds were up 5. 3% in the quarter, on average, compared with a 1% rise for foreign large-cap value funds, Morningstar said. George Evans, manager of the MassMutual Premier International Equity fund in New York, said he expected growth stocks to outrun value issues for the next three to five years worldwide. Many classic growth companies are plays on one of Evans' favorite investing themes, he said: the rise of "mass affluence" worldwide, as the ranks of the middle class grow in China, India and other developing nations. He sees Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group and France's Pernod Ricard, the world's second-largest liquor company, among the beneficiaries. Still, it isn't certain that value funds will go into a long-term fade, many financial advisors say.

Savvy value-fund managers may find bargains in places they wouldn't ordinarily look. Indeed, one manager's growth stock can be another manager's value stock For example, shares of computer titan Hewlett-Packard Co austin peay governors basketball . are in the Calamos Growth fund and also are a major holding of the Dodge & Cox Stock fund, one of the biggest large-cap value portfolios. What's more, if the economy should sink into recession, it isn't clear which stock sectors would hold up best apsu football . That might depend on the nature of the recession -- whether it's marked by a pullback in consumer spending or a decline in business outlays, for instance. Nonetheless, among Wall Street pros there is strong evidence of growing bias against small- and mid-cap value stocks, in particular. In a survey of 342 institutional investors conducted in late August and early September, Russell Investment Group found that just 13% were bullish on small-cap value stocks over the next 12 months, and 25% were bullish on mid-cap value issues . By contrast, 69% were bullish on large-cap growth stocks. It could make things tough for value-fund managers if they begin to face heavy redemptions by investors who are cashing in the healthy gains the sector produced in the last seven years. The value-focused Diamond Hill Small Cap fund closed its doors to new investors in 2005, when the fund's assets were approaching $500 million austin peay . The portfolio had gained 123% from the end of 2000 through 2004, three times the return of the Russell 2,000 small-stock index. But this year money has been flowing out as some financial advisors have been shifting clients away from small-cap value in general, said Tom Schindler, the fund's co-manager in Columbus, Ohio. The fund eked out a 0. 4% return in the first nine months. "Assets can be leaving just as you're finding things you want to be investing in," Schindler said austin peay pictures . He added that he was trying to maintain long-term bets on small oil and gas companies and industrial firms such as Kaydon Corp. , which makes bearings and other components for the defense business and other industries. Even if value is going out of favor for a while, shifting entirely away from value funds could be a mistake, many financial advisors say. That's because there's no telling when the sector might be back in style. One way to avoid an all-or-nothing bet on growth or value: Choose a fund that owns both. Funds that tend to own a mix of growth and value stocks are categorized as "blend" portfolios by Morningstar. Not surprisingly, their returns often fall somewhere in between the returns of pure growth and pure value. tom. petruno.

Computer Sciences Corp and CACI International Inc austin peay governor . said they won parts of an Army information technology contract valued at as much as $20 billion over the next nine years. The contract calls for providing a range of technology services to support the Army, including securing systems, maintenance work, education and training, the companies said in separate statements austin peay university . Nine other companies also won pieces of the larger award, they said Austin Peay Governors - apsugovernors . Austin Peay Governors tickets El Segundo-based Computer Sciences, the fifth-largest computer services firm, said its contract was valued at $2 billion if all options were exercised let's go peay . Arlington, Va. -based CACI, a supplier of interrogators to the Army, also won a three-year award with three two-year options Austin Peay Governors - apsugovernors . peay university . Los Angeles-based alternative-energy company Altra Inc. raised more than $120 million from private investors in its latest financing round -- a sign that major venture capital firms have not been scared off by growing talk that too much money may be chasing too few sustainable ideas in the search to replace gasoline. The new funding, which Altra could announce as early as today, brings its total to more than $250 million from some of the nation's top venture capital firms Austin Peay Governors .