31.   The company said in the quarter it continued to integrate four recent acquisitions, which are operating at lower gross margins percentages.

32.   The decline stemmed from discounting at the end of December and higher sales of hard goods, which have lower margins than apparel, analysts said.

33.   The decline, which was larger than analysts had expected, was partly because of lower margins on mortgages.

34.   The higher costs for crude oil, a raw material for chemicals, contributed to the lower margins.

35.   The lanthanide business continues to face lower margins and sales because of competition from Chinese producers, Unocal said.

36.   The lower margins help CompUSA compete aggressively for sales, analysts say.

37.   The margin will rise in coming quarters because Intel is selling fewer motherboards, which carry lower margins that single processors.

38.   The motherboard business is lower margin, and after the problems with Packard Bell, analysts said Intel decided to pare back the unit.

39.   The new Enron trading business is expected to be focused mainly on energy products with lower risk and lower margins.

40.   The pace of consolidation is made all the more brisk by intense competition in Britain for new business, as insurers seek to offset lower margins on premiums.