1.   Analysts said after Western sweetened its bid earlier this month that it was unlikely UtiliCorp and Kansas City Power would be able to make shareholders a better offer.

2.   Any additional money Carnival could have used to sweeten its bid will instead be siphoned to these expenses.

3.   A number of analysts and investors expect that Calenergy will sweeten its bid or that another company might enter the bidding with a higher offer.

4.   Broderbund, based in Novato, California, made its first offer in August and sweetened the bid in November.

5.   But BellSouth and its top executives have sweetened their bid and dug in, knowing they may yet be forced to throw billions of dollars more on the table.

6.   Comcast has yet to sweeten the bid.

7.   Executives from SunTrust Banks have repeatedly insisted the company will not sweeten its bid.

8.   Faced with losing a shareholder vote on its original offer to merge with Kansas City Power and Light Co., Utilicorp United Inc. has sweetened its bid.

9.   IPC appears unlikely to sweeten its bid.

10.   It is said to have teamed up with Vornado Realty Trust in January to sweeten its bid for Corporate Property.