In three months, the world's largest computer maker has lost about 30 percent of its market value.
The company, the nation's largest auto maker, spent $3.4 billion on health care in 1991.
On Friday, other large auto makers said their sales were strong.
The deal would create the world's largest maker of generic drugs.
The 130-year-old company was once the nation's largest maker of asbestos.
Today the world's largest computer maker is taking an increasingly global view of science and engineering.
Ford was the last of the large auto makers to report December sales.
At the same time, though, many large makers of pharmaceuticals lack new drug candidates.
Industry executives say that the four largest American makers almost evenly share about half of the $812 million market.
The world's largest computer maker has begun thinking the unthinkable.
