**EXHIBIT12.1**

 

**Ratioof Earnings to Fixed Charges**

**(unaudited)**

 
| ** **                                                                               | ** ** | **Year  Ended October 31,** | ** ** | **Three  months ended  April 30,** | ** ** | **Six  months ended  April 30,** | ** ** |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|-----------------------------|------------|------------------------------------|------------|----------------------------------|------------|
| **(in thousands, except ratios)**                                                        | ** ** | **2001**                    | ** ** | **2002**                           | ** ** | **2003**                         | ** ** | **2004** | ** ** | **2005** | ** ** | **2006** | ** ** | **2006** | ** ** |
| Consolidated  pretax earnings (loss) from continuing operations before minority interest |       | $                           | (270,355   | )                                  | $          | (95,722                          | )          | $ | (54,597 | ) | $ | 75,518 |   | $ |  466,016 |   | $ | 10,925 |   | $ | 24,083 |   |
| Interest expense                                                                         |       | —                      |       | —                             |       | —                           |       | 992 |   | 3,000 |   | 750 |   | 1,500 |   |
| Amortization of  debt issuance costs                                                     |       | —                      |       | —                             |       | —                           |       | 982 |   | 2,972 |   | 743 |   | 1,486 |   |
| Interest portion  of rental expense                                                      |       | 10,500                      |       | 8,700                              |       | 7,200                            |       | 6,440 |   | 6,990 |   | 1,456 |   | 2,866 |   |
| Earnings (loss)                                                                          |       | $                           | (259,855   | )                                  | $          | (87,022                          | )          | $ | (47,397 | ) | $ | 83,932 |   | $ |  478,978 |   | $ | 13,874 |   | $ | 29,935 |   |
| Interest expense                                                                         |       | $                           | —     |                               | $          | —                           |       | $ | — |   | $ | 992 |   | $ |  3,000 |   | $ | 750 |   | $ | 1,500 |   |
| Amortization of  debt issuance costs                                                     |       | —                      |       | —                             |       | —                           |       | 982 |   | 2,972 |   | 743 |   | 1,486 |   |
| Interest portion  of rental expense                                                      |       | 10,500                      |       | 8,700                              |       | 7,200                            |       | 6,440 |   | 6,990 |   | 1,456 |   | 2,866 |   |
|                                                                                     |       |                        |       |                               |       |                             |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Fixed charges                                                                            |       | $                           | 10,500     |                               | $          | 8,700                            |       | $ | 7,200 |   | $ | 8,414 |   | $ | 12,962 |   | $ | 2,949 |   | $ | 5,852 |   |
|                                                                                     |       |                        |       |                               |       |                             |       |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of earnings  to fixed charges                                                      |       | (a                          | )          | (a                                 | )          | (a                               | )          | 10.0 |   | 37.0 |   | 4.7 |   | 5.1 |   |
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(a)                                  Due to the loss in fiscal 2001, 2002, and2003, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges was less than 1:1 in each of thoseperiods. The Company would have had to generate additional earnings of $270.4million, $95.7 million, and $54.6 million in fiscal 2001, 2002, and 2003,respectively, to achieve a ratio of 1:1.

 

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