1.   Because ultrashort-term bond funds occupy a niche squarely between money-market funds and short-term bond funds, you might think they are fairly simple investments.

2.   Miami and Seattle occupy similar niches, although their respective bases are slimmer.

3.   Other big holdings include Bank of New York Corp. and State Street Corp., both of which occupy specialty niches as fund custodians and administrators for other institutions.

4.   The bathroom and the closet occupied mere niches.

5.   The two firms occupy separate niches in the broadband arena, which could facilitate a one-two punch in marketability once the deal is completed.

6.   They range from vivid narratives, to naturalistic portraits, to full-length oil-on-canvas figures meant to occupy niches in palace walls.

7.   All those are important for image but occupy small niches in the car-buying market.

8.   Comfortably occupying a niche in a new industry, Yan is satisfied that he can compete with state firms.