A tiger doesn't suddenly change its stripes because it buys a smaller rival.

Darlington conservatory maker Amdega bought a Staffordshire-based rival for an undisclosed sum.

Zoning laws prevent companies from opening more than a handful of stores each year, so one way to become bigger fast is to buy a rival.

Zoning ordinances make it difficult for retailers to build stores, so one of the only ways to become bigger fast is to buy a rival.

With 3i determined to cash out of its investment, EasyJet is taking advantage of an unusual opportunity to buy a rival, they said.

The Canadian maker of small commercial aircraft, Bombardier, said it was no longer interested in buying a European rival, Fairchild Dornier.

BJ Services offered to buy a chief rival in oilfield services, Western Company of North America, for about $450 million.

Camco in $3.1 Billion Deal Schlumberger agreed to buy a smaller rival, Camco International, in a $3.1 billion stock swap.

This time Mr. Icahn is playing "chicken" with Mylan Laboratories, a maker of generic drugs that is trying to buy a rival, King Pharmaceuticals.

Time Warner Telecom said yesterday that it had received bankruptcy court approval to buy a rival, GST Telecommunications, for $690 million.