Barnes & Noble weighs Borders bid

Barnes & Noble Inc. is getting more serious about buying chief rival Borders Group Inc., confirming Thursday that it put together a management team to study the "feasibility" of a combination. The disclosure came as the nation's largest bookseller reported a wider loss in the first quarter on a tax-related charge and lowered its sales guidance for the year. Speculation had been mounting about a possible Barnes & Noble-Borders combination since Borders announced in March it was putting itself up for sale, and that it had lined up $42.5 million in financing to help it continue operations.