Financial Printing -- Bulls in a Bear Market

A similar forecast is provided by Bowne's Smith, who feels there are signs of a stronger 2004 for the financial printing sector.

"We see continued improvement and stability in the marketplace for the coming year," Smith observes. "IPOs are the best bellwether for our industry and the trend in this area is looking good. Also, our business units that offer digital and electronic solutions are gaining momentum, and we see improved contributions from these areas. Overall, we are cautiously optimistic that business will stabilize and continue to grow over the next 12 to 18 months."