31.   But with stuffed channels, he said, retailers and distributors are busy working off excess inventories.

32.   Chip makers are struggling to burn off excess inventory.

33.   Cirrus surprised investors by restating fiscal third-quarter results, posting a loss after a charge to write off excess inventory.

34.   Cognex Corp., Natick, Mass., said that it was taking a charge against earnings to write off excess inventory and that it would delay planned hirings.

35.   Companies are whittling down excess inventories of goods and supplies.

36.   Compaq also has successfully cut hundreds of millions in excess inventory and other costs in the past year.

37.   Compaq found its profits wiped away by excess inventory and unexpected price competition in PCs.

38.   Companies have worked off their excess inventories, energy prices have come down, and consumers did get some tax relief, he said.

39.   Computer makers got stuck with excess inventory in the first several months of this year because of slowing demand.

40.   Computer makers in general got stuck with excess inventory in the first several months of this year because of slowing demand.