BIZWATCH\MARKETS.

CHRYSLER DOWN; FORD, GM UP: Auto stocks gained early in the day after Chrysler announced a treaty Thursday with dissident investor Kirk Kerkorian to improve the automaker's shareholder value. Chrysler was up as much as 2-5/8 points on an intraday basis but ended down 1 at 55-3/4. Ford climbed -3/4 to 30-1/4, and General Motors added -5/8 to 52.

CREDIT RECORDS SPINOFF: TRW Inc. has agreed to spin off its division that keeps credit records to two private companies for more than $1 billion. Bain Capital Inc. and Thomas H. Lee Co., both of Boston, will buy the Orange County, Calif.-based Information Systems and Services business of TRW. The sale, structured as a recapitalization, is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, the companies said Friday. The TRW business keeps credit information and sells information to businesses to help them target their marketing.

IBM STOCK UP: International Business Machines Corp. stock climbed to its highest level since April 1991 this week, hitting a 52-week high Tuesday and staying above 110 all week for the first time since August. The stock's strength helped drive the recent surge in the Dow Jones industrials average, although IBM fell from the 115-1/8 it hit in trading Tuesday while the Dow average and broader stock market has continued to rise. The company's shares were trading at 113-1/2, up -3/8, Friday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange. In the short term, the most widely-held technology stock is now more likely to follow broad market trends rather than be swung by things that IBM can control, analysts said Friday.

TRUCK RECALL: Mazda announced it is recalling approximately 2,000 1994 pickups for air intake duct and valve problems that could cause the vehicles to maintain high speeds even when the gas is off. Mazda found that on certain B2300 trucks ice forms in the throttle area of the engine during extended driving in severe cold. The problem could cause throttle plates to stay in cruising position after the accelerator is released. Under such circumstances, the vehicles may be difficult to stop. Truck owners were asked to take their trucks to an authorized Mazda dealership for inspection and possible replacement of the air intake duct and valve assembly.

STOCK BUYBACK: Levi Strauss & Co., the world's largest brand name apparel maker, is moving ahead with a stock buyback program that would value the company at $14 billion and ensure that it remains in family hands. The jeans maker is offering $265 per share to employees and some members of the family that owns the maker of Levi's jeans, Dockers brand clothing and Brittania Sportswear, company spokesman Sean Fitzgerald said Friday.

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Chart (1) DOW INDUSTRIALS (2) IBM stock price during the past five weeks (3) BIZ FACTS Debtor Nations General government financial liabilities as a percent of GDP