In addition, the financial industry on both sides of the Atlantic has been swept by merger fever.

Ogilvy and Foote, Cone, along with other agency stocks, have moved higher this month as a result of merger fever and brokerage recommendations.

Even a market crash would probably do little to cure merger fever, industry watchers say.

Lower stock prices and an uncertain economic landscape are still combining to dampen merger fever.

Chief among them is protecting workers whose jobs are being wiped out by the merger fever sweeping the railroad industry.

Mr. Marckesano insists that more than merger fever is driving the airline stocks.

Along with Asian relief and merger fever, American stocks were aided by earnings reports that came in largely as expected.

In fact, merger fever has been sweeping the specialty chemical industry.

This is the most prominent account conflict since the merger fever struck the accounting profession last spring.

A year ago executives at Spain's top seven banks had one concern: that merger fever could make them all takeover targets.