1.   Because of this, companies could see their profits drop as a percentage of sales if it goes into effect.

2.   But it said sales and profits would drop sharply in the first part of this year.

3.   But those profits have dropped as competitors picked off customers.

4.   Company officials said profits dropped because of high costs of borrowing last year for financing paper and cement projects.

5.   Corporate profits drop, further reducing tax revenues.

6.   GM reported on Tuesday that its profits had dropped sharply because of two strikes in October, but the drop was not quite as deep as analysts had feared.

7.   He said the more investors see their paper profits drop, the more likely they are to pull in their horns and reduce their consumption.

8.   Honda Motor Co. said global profit dropped more than one-third in the first half as falling sales overseas and a higher yen overcame surging sales in Japan.

9.   Imperial Chemical Industries Plc said first-quarter pretax profit dropped more than two-thirds and blamed a strong pound, lower selling prices and higher oil costs.

10.   In recent years, under outside management, the Macmillans have watched profits drop off somewhat.