prop is now the seller....., page-17

re: the yanks were this far ahead in 2002. and some more:

By Mark Martinez
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
6/30/2004 4:52 PM EDT

Updated from 1:53 p.m. EDT

Shares of Thoratec (THOR:Nasdaq - commentary - research) were among the worst-performing health care and pharmaceutical stocks Wednesday after the company warned that its second-quarter and full-year earnings results would fall short of expectations.

Citing weaker-than-expected sales of its Destination Therapy implants, Thoratec said it expects to earn 2 cents a share on sales of $40 million to $41 million during the second quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had been expecting the company to earn 7 cents a share on sales of $44 million. For the full year, it expects to earn 10 cents to 13 cents a share on sales of $175 million to $180 million. Analysts were expecting earnings of 31 cents a share on sales of $186.6 million. Shares of Thoratec traded down $3.68, or 25.5%, to $10.74.

from
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/markets/stocksinmotion/10168681.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA