41.   Companies like Chengdu Telecommunications Cable Co., trade futures contracts to limit the impact of rises in key raw material prices.

42.   Companies like Citicorp, BankAmerica Corp. and NationsBank Corp. benefit from the lower yields.

43.   Companies like Microworkz, AltaVista and NetZero offer free connections to anyone willing to sift through advertising.

44.   Companies do not like to lay people off.

45.   Companies like giant Microsoft and Intel, for instance.

46.   Companies like the direct purchase plans for a couple reasons.

47.   Companies like to encourage employees to own stock.

48.   Companies liked them because they did not have to be counted as an employee expense and they made earnings look better than they really were.

49.   Companies may not like it, however.

50.   Costs at the airline are still higher than the company would like, said AMR Chairman and Chief Executive Robert L. Crandall.