But one of the most mind-bending is the low probability prediction that one of the five companies expected to launch a drug next year will actually manage to deliver goodstockperformance.
Barring a ferocious bear stockmarket, on past performance WorldCom's stock will be a good deal more valuable at the end of such a wait than it is today.
It has a lot to do with the recent performance of the stock market, a pretty good measure of sentiment as well as one of the better leading indicators of real economic activity.
Maybe not quite as good as last year, but executive compensation is likely to rise significantly given the positive performance of the stock market so far and the continued improvement of corporate earnings.