1.   Aggressive promotions also hurt margins.

2.   Dell is scheduled to report earnings next week, giving investors and analysts an indication if the recent round of cuts has hurt its gross margin.

3.   Gross margins were hurt by price cuts as the House of Fraser unloaded excess inventories from closed stores and departments.

4.   Longer hours, especially on Sundays, hurt margins and lottery scratchcards, meanwhile, sapped loyal customers.

5.   Longer hours, especially on Sundays, hurt margins, while lottery scratchcards sapped loyal customers.

6.   Margins were further hurt because the company had to start buying salt to comply with contracts after it closed down its mine in Retsof, New York.

7.   Record corn costs have hurt margins for feedlot operators and spurred cattle sales, driving down prices.

8.   Rising raw material costs and falling product prices also hurt margins for fiber optic cables.

9.   SingTel shares had already been reeling from the impact of more competition for its services, which is anticipated to hurt margins.

10.   Spyglass said it plans to boost investment in developing new products, which could hurt margins.