The adjusted basis for tax purposes are different than for financial accounting (GAAP) gains or losses on sales of capital assets.

The auto maker posted a $15.95 billion one-time accounting gain in the first quarter when it revalued its 80 percent stake in the Associates, a consumer-finance company, before spinning off its stake in the business to Ford shareholders.

An accounting gain related to the decline of the euro's value provided a final push.

NORTEL NETWORKS, the telecommunications equipment company, said an accounting gain allowed it to report a second-quarter profit, but profit margins continued to be squeezed.

The General Electric Company appears to have a found a way to convert the accounting gain into an operating gain that the market would reward.

Latest 6-month results included a non-recurring accounting gain of $42.3 million after deferred income taxes of $20 million.

The passage of the Gold Reserve Act created an accounting gain for the Treasury, part of which was used to provide funds to retire all of the bonds against which National Banks Notes could be issued.

Ford's total income last year officially was $22.07 billion, but this included a $15.96 billion noncash accounting gain resulting from the spinoff last spring of its 80 percent stake in the Associates First Capital, the consumer lending unit.

Interpublic said it expected an accounting gain of $100 million on the sale.

The company said that the 1987 results included an accounting gain from the sale of stock by T.C.C. Beverages Ltd. and a restructuring charge at Coca-Cola Foods.