51.   But with demand down, IBM still has high fixed costs because it owns and runs manufacturing plants around the world.

52.   Certain fixed costs will remain, including maintenance and debt service on capital improvements and equipment.

53.   Cap Gemini has trimmed fixed costs and focused on high-margin services, an analyst with a top French banking company said.

54.   Cap Gemini has trimmed fixed costs and has focused on high-margin services, an analyst with a top French banking company said.

55.   Cash flow, which is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is a widely-used measure of financial performance for companies with high fixed costs.

56.   Companies with high levels of debt and other fixed costs can quickly see profits turn into losses, he says.

57.   Cost cuts and narrower increases in fixed costs will allow both operating profit and net profit to grow at double the rate of sales, Vita said.

58.   Companies that added manufacturing capacity in anticipation of continued growth must now face declining orders while burdened with higher fixed costs and higher employee levels, he added.

59.   Faced with the vagaries of international markets, many European companies are trying to find ways to be responsive without incurring excessive fixed costs.

60.   Executives also say the company has cut fixed costs in recent years and moved rapidly to idle plants.