51.   So did its chief executive, Gaston Bastiaens, who orchestrated several big acquisitions but presided over sharply declining earnings.

52.   Since July, the French and German companies have both made big acquisitions in Britain and have vowed to build pan-European networks.

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

54.   That is a normal drop for a company making a big acquisition and does not indicate any unusual displeasure by investors.

55.   The agreement to purchase Avis continues a string of big acquisitions by HFS.

56.   The agreement to purchase Avis follows a string of big acquisitions by HFS.

57.   The chairman of Deutsche Telekom, Ron Sommer, has repeatedly said he wanted to make big acquisitions and that the United States was a top priority.

58.   The big acquisitions will probably come in an industry shakeout that may last five to seven years.

59.   The negotiations between Terra Networks and Lycos follow a series of big acquisitions in the Internet industry as companies try to increase their reach and offerings.

60.   The purchase of Avis would bring HFS into a third industry and continue a string of big acquisitions for the Parsippany, New Jersey-based company.