Business and Finance
MORGAN STANLEY'S investment bankers have repeatedly pressured the firm's analysts to avoid or alter negative research on its corporate clients, former and current Morgan analysts say. Morgan contends its research was never compromised and says it deals as well as any Wall Street firm with the tension between analysts and investment bankers.</br></br>Six asbestos-product makers were negligent for failing to warn steel and shipyard workers about the hazards of asbestos, a Baltimore jury found. The verdict opens the door to potentially huge awards to 8,555 plaintiffs.</br></br>---</br></br>Several big banks, including J.P. Morgan, Chase Manhattan and First Chicago, posted better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, reflecting low interest rates and an improvement in loan-portfolio quality.</br></br>---