Two sufficient conditions are obtained for the global asymptotic stability of the following two rational difference equations x(n+1) = x(n)x(n-2)+a/x(n)+x(n-2), n = 0, 1, 2, . . . , and x(n+1) = x(n-1)x(n-2)+a/x(n-1)+x(n-2), n = 0, 1, 2, . . . , where a is an element of [0, infinity) and the initial values x(-2), x(-1), x(0) is an element of (0, infinity). (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.