After the preliminary bids that were submitted last Friday are evaluated, the companies will have an opportunity to submit final bids.

It would not be realistic to offer hard numbers, bidders say, because the preliminary bids are based on limited financial information.

Investors rush to get in their preliminary bids before the house is technically up for auction.

He set things in motion, making a preliminary $950 million bid for the international operations.

Tagliabue would not say on Tuesday what the preliminary 1996 bid meant.

Vivendi has asked that preliminary bids be submitted by the end of the month.

Last month the prospective buyers made preliminary bids of about $250 million.

Morrison Knudsen's bid was $469 million, down from a preliminary bid of $547 million.

A Chrysler spokesman said the company had received "preliminary bids" for those divisions last week.

So far, the Sony-led group has submitted a preliminary bid of about $5 billion and is pursuing due diligence.