His firm seeks to understand historical changes in markets and predict results for seven years into the future.

Such funds will probably shrink more this year, the firm predicts.

His firm predicts that telecommunications spending will continue to decline through 2002.

Eight firms predict an increase of half a point.

As a result, the firm is predicting that a new round of residential development could begin in a year to two.

By 2004, the firm predicts, services will be 45 percent of a $2.55 trillion high-tech sector.

The firm has predicted an annual loss of more than $1bn.

How do these traders and firms predict which shares will hit big?

That will drop below $5,000 by next year and to $3,000 by 2007, the firm predicts.

And, the firm predicted, by 1997 the nation would probably have more than 33 million pagers in use.