You still have the aftereffects of the inventory glut.

Some analysts predicted that other imported car manufacturers, particularly on the lower end of the market, faced a similar inventory glut and would follow Nissan's lead.

Over the last few quarters, Intel has struggled to overcome an inventory glut.

Not only does this approach increase the store's margins, it also cuts the risk of inventory gluts and shortages.

That caused a minor inventory glut for those customers going into the fourth quarter, he said.

But Mr. Bryant assured analysts on a conference call that the inventory glut was minor and that the company would soon have it in balance.

They said PC manufacturers appeared to have worked through an inventory glut, which had depressed microprocessor sales in previous quarters.

An inventory glut at Intel grew in the second quarter in part because the price war caused customers to wait for even further price cuts.

But retailers and producers, many of which faced serious market erosion or inventory glut, began working together on the problem.

Compaq struggled with an inventory glut last year as it moved to adopt a build-to-order system.