41.   Now would be a good time to start looking at a big acquisition, Boardman said.

42.   Now, after a series of big acquisitions, Sara Lee has leading brands in everything from coffee and tea to cosmetics and pantyhose.

43.   Or will the company, flush with cash, make a big acquisition?

44.   Other big acquisitions followed.

45.   Plans for the bank merger came on the heels of other big acquisition proposals.

46.   Profits in the next year could be driven more by internal growth and perhaps a big acquisition, though.

47.   Seagram is expected to expand MCA aggressively, perhaps through big acquisitions.

48.   Seattle-based Washington Mutual argued that it had a better track record making big acquisitions pay off.

49.   RWE, based in Essen, wanted to sell its stake as part of a broader plan to finance big acquisitions in its core business, electricity generation.

50.   Slattery said it could be the last big acquisition because competitors Sodexho and ARA are restrained by regional competition conflicts from countering with another large purchase.