Business and Finance
THE STOCK MARKET's three-day rally slowed on profit-taking and weakness in the bond market. Volume, however, reached 203 million shares. Bond prices slid on investor worries over the interest-rate outlook and U.S. borrowing needs.</br></br>Some brokerage firms are posting increases in stock business of 50% to 100% from a week ago, but are divided over advice to investors.</br></br>---</br></br>Merrill Lynch agreed to acquire Becker Paribas in a stock transaction valued at $100 million. Cie. Financiere de Paribas apparently decided to divest the unit partly because of fixed-income securities trading losses, said to exceed $60 million.</br></br>---