Such a decline, if true, would indicate that competition has stiffened in the mainframe business.

"The decline indicates that the market was starting to get bad in 1985."

A decline in the number of injuries caused by bears since those 1967 attacks indicates that the change in policy is working.

Some analysts said the decline indicated a further slowing of the American economy.

That is down 3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2002, a smaller decline than the normal seasonal trends would have indicated.

But a recent decline in wholesale sales of orange juice indicates falling demand due to high prices, analysts said.

The decline indicated a slowing in the manufacturing sector.

The decline indicated a continuing lack of investor interest in precious metals as an inflation hedge.

A decline in a macrophyte population may indicate water quality problems.

The decline probably indicated that a substantial number of investors had withdrawn money to seek better yields elsewhere.