THE Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index are down a fraction of a per cent this year about as close to unchanged as you can get. Yet there's plenty of excitement in individual stocks.
Among the big losers, EBay Inc. (EBay) is down 32% and JDS Uniphase (JDSU) has fallen 38%. Among the big winners, Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) has surged 29%. Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL), up 201% last year, has tacked on an additional 22% gain. And Walgreen Co. (WAG) is up 13%.