21.   Near the end of the meeting, however, they started talking about combining their companies.

22.   Pfizer executives have asked de Vink to remain as a consultant after the two companies are combined.

23.   Seidenberg and Smith combining their companies will enable them to increase revenue even if they lose some local market to competitors.

24.   Some London analysts said combining the companies outright would make a perfect marriage.

25.   Some London analysts, however, said combining the companies outright would make a perfect marriage.

26.   Still, the challenge for Silicon Graphics could well be in avoiding the clash of cultures and purposes that so often surface when any two companies are combined.

27.   Still, some analysts said the stresses of combining two companies could dampen their stock prices for some time.

28.   The companies will be combined into a new holding company that will issue new stock of the merged firm.

29.   The deal, if approved by shareholders and regulators, will combine two companies that make competing versions of ADSL, or Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line technology.

30.   The discussions include whether the two companies would be combined as a holding company and where headquarters would be.