The Americans tried to emphasize the importance of the modest gains made.

In any case, Democrats are taking heart from exceedingly modest gains.

By one industry measure, sales showed their most modest gains since March 1993.

"These families have had to work hard for their modest gains."

Tonight, though, even those modest gains, and what extra advantage they bring with them, appeared in doubt.

And, the current stock price leaves room for only modest gains.

"Today we built on the relatively modest gains of last week," he said.

And even that modest gain was wiped out by the 1990-91 recession.

Parties on the far right, which have increased their share of the vote in recent elections, made only modest gains.

Wall Street had modest gains as investors worried about the economic data.