1.   All ludicrous examples of local councils wantonly spending excess cash are gratefully received.

2.   Banks are generating record profits and using excess cash to buy out competitors and repurchase their own shares.

3.   Firms raised more external finance than they needed, using the surplus to repay bank debts and build up excess cash.

4.   For example, if one bank has excess cash and another a shortage of cash, the first bank could make a short-term loan to the second.

5.   Besides, they said, the company has oodles of excess cash.

6.   Both National Power and PowerGen have excess cash after the U.K. government blocked their bids for regional electricity distribution companies earlier this month.

7.   Advanta has taken steps to boost the excess cash in its credit-card portfolios by offering new cards to attract customers with better credit profiles.

8.   Companies with excess cash have several alternatives if they choose to return the money to shareholders.

9.   Companies buy back their stock to boost per-share earnings and return on equity and to put excess cash to work.