21.   The charitable view is that Greenspan is still puzzling over how to deal with the ways that lofty stock prices ripple through the economy.

22.   The lofty prices leave no room for mistakes, however.

23.   The lofty prices reflect the demand for this caviar, considered by some to be the best in the world.

24.   The lofty price, which Thompson counts among the selling points, also gets prominent display.

25.   They believe the lofty price is warranted because new acquisitions, particularly in Europe, should boost profits later.

26.   Volume was light for the second consecutive day, with buyers resisting what they view as lofty price levels after the recent run-up.

27.   While at Merrill, Cohen had been cautious on Internet stocks, in contrast to his replacement, Henry Blodget, who heartily endorsed Internet shares at lofty prices.

28.   While the lofty prices may come back to haunt the acquirers, they are also the reason many banks are willing to sell.

29.   With their lofty stock prices, they are to the old-line publishing business what Microsoft is to IBM.