Lockheed strike...Venezuela oil production up...Company spending?

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(Boston-AP) -- Experts have been hoping that once the Iraq war was over companies would start spending money on previously postponed projects. Now they aren't so sure.

For one thing, the war may not have a clearly defined end. For another, the economy is weak, and lots of companies are still working through debt and excess inventory.

A telecommunication equipment supplier near Boston says he doesn't see that the war is what's holding customers back. And another executive at a software company in Virginia says the war just gave people a good reason to do what they were already doing -- and that businesses weren't spending money.

Economists say their big-picture analysis paints the same picture. A Merrill Lynch survey of executives at 75 U-S and 25 European companies found that 17 percent planned to slow spending if war broke out, and that 90 percent said a quick end to the war wouldn't cause their information technology spending to accelerate.

(Los Angeles-AP) -- "Anger Management" bullied its way to the top spot at the box office in its debut weekend. That's according to Sunday's studio estimates.

The Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson comedy revived the box office after four straight slumping weekends as the top 12 movies took in nearly 87 (m) million dollars, up 6 percent from the same weekend last year.

"Anger Management" had the highest gross ever for a movie opening in April, beating the previous record of just over 36 (m) million set by last year's "The Scorpion King."

"Anger Management" grossed more than the rest of the top 12 combined. Last weekend's number one, "Phone Booth," fell to second place with 7-point-5 (m) million. "What a Girl Wants" came in third with 6-point-7 (m) million.