"While it is clear that the US economy is recovering, there is a real danger that this could all be a profitless prosperity — in other words, with the economy moving, but no one really making money on it," says Larry Wachtel, a market commentator for investment house Prudential Securities.

Without question, "profitless prosperity" — a new buzzword on Wall Street — would quickly curb the grazing territory of the baby bull.

W. H. Krome George, president of the Aluminum Association and of the Aluminum Company of America, told yesterday's opening session of a two-day annual meeting of the group that the industry had entered a period of "profitless prosperity."