He said there had been "firm bids," but would give no details.

Shearson was the only firm to actually present what could be called a firm bid.

"That firm bid is symptomatic of a people who are afraid they will miss something if they stay out."

The initial offer gave the equity funds access to more financial information about Auna, which they planned to use to make a firm bid.

"Everything augurs for a firm bid on the bond, as well as the dollar."

Hughton said: "There's been a lot of talk and enquiries but until a firm bid comes in they're our players.

Cable and Wireless contends that N.T.T. has not made a firm bid under Japanese law.

Navy officials at Mare Island regarded the lumber company proposal as infeasible and felt the salvage firm bid was excessive.

Manager Ray Treacy plans to follow-up an initial inquiry with a firm bid - and Portadown could be interested in selling.

P&O Princess asked that Carnival, which is also based in Miami, make a firm bid without preconditions by Jan. 18.

But when no-one came in with a firm bid Beck sent a video compilation of all Dublin's goals to every First Division club.

Lenders to Olympia & York's Canary Wharf project rejected the only firm bid for the troubled real estate development.

Several bidders are rumored to be considering offers for Orion, most notably, Turner Broadcasting System, but no firm bid has emerged.

Since then, the Shawmut National Corporation and at least one other bank have expressed interest in Northeast, but only First Fidelity made a firm bid.

In 2000, the firm bid for Conseco's lending unit while the firm was advising Conseco, which ultimately decided not to sell the unit.

Despite significant media coverage of the sale, no other firm bids were tendered for Asia Aluminum's PRC assets.

Another week, and still no firm bid for Evolution Group, the asset management and broking company being stalked by Investec and Canaccord.

When Knight Ridder put itself up for sale last year, it drew only one firm bid, from McClatchy, which bought the chain and its 32 daily newspapers.

'Expression of Interest' Businessland, which is based in San Jose, Calif., termed the proposal "only an expresssion of interest" and not a firm bid.

The Yankees, who will eventually reap the financial benefit of a huge local television deal, are also expected to make a firm bid for the free-agent pitcher Mike Mussina.

And if the Bankruptcy Court in Arizona approves, Investcorp will own the Circle K Corporation, the convenience-store chain for which the firm bid $400 million.

In fact, a few weeks before the firm bid for Donaldson, it tried to hire Mr. Moelis on his own, according to friends of Mr. Moelis.

In a telephone interview from Paris, Mr. Brooks said: "Merrill Lynch and I have made a firm bid for Saks Fifth Avenue.

This is a necessary precursor if AOL Time Warner is to make a firm bid for AT&T's cable operation, the nation's biggest, with about 14.4 million subscribers.

SALEM CORP., Pittsburgh, the industrial equipment maker that put itself up for sale last March, said it did not receive a firm bid for the company.