Gore's market debut slams drug, oil and HMO stocks

Al Gore's convention nomination speech called for a Medicare drug benefit, and several major pharmaceutical shares finished the week lower in price. AT&T's binge of cable TV acquisitions has not helped its share price, which hovers in the low $30s after a high of $61 in Nov '99. Rumors of a Carl Icahn play on General Motors sent its stock higher; GM is exactly the kind of languishing firm that Icahn has been attracted to in the past. Amazon.com's alliance with Toys R Us doesn't impress some analysts. Brokerage stocks continued a strong climb.