Last month, for example, Faberge Inc., which makes Brut cologne and owns Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, was sold for $1.55 billion to Unilever N.V., the Dutch consumer-products giant.

Gillette and Procter & Gamble, two consumer-products giants often mentioned in the same breath as Coke, issued warnings about their earnings earlier this week, further raising speculation about what Coke executives might say tomorrow.

The latest case involves the Procter & Gamble Company, the consumer-products giant.

Procter has also joined other consumer-products giants, like Coca-Cola and Sara Lee, in a business-to-business Internet exchange that seeks to use their combined weight to reduce the costs of buying materials and shipping goods.

The analysts hailed Procter's action as a much needed step to rebuild margins of the Cincinnati-based consumer-products giant.

Mr. Kazarian submitted a plan to Borden's board in which he would make a $430 million investment to acquire a minority interest in the company, a troubled consumer-products giant.

P.& G., the consumer-products giant, is to provide $135 million to Regeneron in the first five years of the deal, including the purchase of as much as $60 million in equity.

On Wednesday, Mr. Kazarian challenged the bid of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Company by offering what he called a recovery plan for Borden, the troubled consumer-products giant.

The move is a bid by two venerable consumer-products giants to strengthen their bargaining position with the likes of Wal-Mart and Aldi in Europe, which can now squeeze even the largest suppliers for lower prices.

It also raised questions about the effect on Kohlberg's deal with Borden and on the future of Borden, a troubled consumer-products giant.