UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): OCTOBER 21, 2004
                                                        (OCTOBER 20, 2004)


                                DST SYSTEMS, INC.
             (Exact Name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                    DELAWARE
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

         1-14036                                           43-1581814
(Commission File Number)                       (IRS Employer Identification No.)

333 WEST 11TH STREET, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI                             64105
(Address of principal executive offices)                              (Zip Code)

                                 (816) 435-1000
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 NOT APPLICABLE
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report).


Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2.):

     [ ]  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
          (17 CFR 230.425)

     [ ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
          CFR 240.14a-12)

     [ ]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b)  under the
          Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

     [ ]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c)  under the
          Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



ITEM 2.02 RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

     See attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K a News Release  dated October
20, 2004  ("Earnings  Press Release")  concerning the  announcement of financial
results for the quarter  ended  September 30, 2004.  The Earnings  Press Release
refers to the agreement of DST Systems,  Inc.  ("DST") to sell  EquiServe,  Inc.
Such  agreement  is also the subject of a separate  news  release and a separate
Form 8-K.

     The  information in this Item 2.02, and Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report
on Form 8-K,  shall not be  deemed  "filed"  for the  purposes  of or  otherwise
subject to the  liabilities  under Section 18 of the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "Exchange  Act").  Unless  expressly  incorporated  into a
filing of DST under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended  (the  "Securities
Act"), or the Exchange Act made after the date hereof, the information contained
in this Item 2.02 and Exhibit 99.1 hereto shall not be incorporated by reference
into any filing of DST, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless
of any general incorporation language in such filing.

ITEM 7.01 REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

     The  Earnings  Press  Release  attached  as  Exhibit  99.1 to this Form 8-K
announces  that the  number of shares  authorized  for  repurchase  under  DST's
previously  announced Share Repurchase  Program will be increased by 5.5 million
shares.

     The  information  in this Item 7.01,  shall not be deemed  "filed"  for the
purposes of or  otherwise  subject to the  liabilities  under  Section 18 of the
Exchange  Act.  Unless  expressly  incorporated  into a filing  of DST under the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act made after the date hereof,  the  information
contained  in this Item 7.01 shall not be  incorporated  by  reference  into any
filing of DST,  whether made before or after the date hereof,  regardless of any
general  incorporation  language in such filing.  The  furnishing of information
under this Item 7.01 is not an indication that this Item 7.01 contains  material
information that is not otherwise publicly available.

ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(C). EXHIBITS.

EXHIBIT
NUMBER                  DESCRIPTION
-------------------     --------------------------------------------------------
99.1                    News Release dated October 20, 2004



                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized on this 21st day of October, 2004.


                                              DST SYSTEMS, INC.


                                              By:      /s/ Randall D. Young
                                                  -----------------------------
                                              Name:  Randall D. Young
                                              Title: Vice President, General
                                                     Counsel, Secretary