Pace of Dot-Com Shutdowns Slowing

In a sign that the Internet sector may be nearing the end of its brutal shakeout, the number of shutdowns and bankruptcies by dot-com companies in the first half of this year fell 73% from the same period last year, a report from Webmergers.com shows.

At least 93 Internet companies closed their doors or filed for bankruptcy protection in the first six months of 2002, down from 345 during the same period last year, according to the San Francisco research firm.