BIZWATCH : MARKETS.MARKET LOGIC: The Dow Jones industrial average Dow Jones Industrial Average The best known U.S. index of stocks. A price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks, primarily industrials including stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange. traded at a slight loss for much of the session before rallying over the final half-hour, rising 53.25 to 6,609.16. In the past three sessions, the barometer of 30 big U.S. companies has recouped about 130 of the 400 points it tumbled over the previous five. MEMO ASSESSOR WARNS PROPERTY OWNERS: Los Angeles County Assessor Los Angeles County Assessor is the office which deals with the tax-side to property in the county. The current assessor is Rick Auerbach. Prior to Auerbach taking office in 2000, Kenneth P. Hahn was assessor. Past City Assessors Name Term A. F. Kenneth P. Hahn is warning property owners to be wary of official looking notices that encourage them to file ``decline-in-value'' applications by Thursday. Hahn says it's a scam because the filing deadline was March 15. Property owners can sometimes get their tax bill reduced by filing the applications. If they missed the deadline they can file an appeal with the Assessment Appeals Board between July 2 and Sept. 15. SAFEWAY COMPLETES VONS VONS Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted (Czech) PURCHASE: Safeway Inc. said Tuesday it completed the $2.55 billion acquisition of Vons Cos. for stock and assumed debt, making it the second-largest food and drug retailer in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. in sales. Safeway swapped 1.425 shares for each of the 29.2 million shares in Vons it didn't already own, for a total of $1.99 billion. It also assumed $565 million in debt. Also, Safeway said it completed the $1.38 billion purchase of 32 million shares, at $43 each, from a partnership affiliated with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (commonly referred to as KKR) is a New York City-based private equity firm that focuses primarily on late-stage leveraged buyouts. It was founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg, Jr., and cousins Henry Kravis and George R. & Co. EQUITY SIGNS $5 MILLION IN CONTRACTS: Shares of Equity Marketing Inc. rose 13 percent Tuesday on news it had received a series of promotional contracts totaling in excess of $5 million, including production of figurines and trading cards for two potential summer blockbusters - Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .' ``Batman and Robin'' and Disney's ``Hercules'' - as well as increases in previously announced orders. All of the orders are expected to be shipped during the second quarter. Stock of Los Angeles-based Equity Marketing was up $2.375 to $20.25. DISNEY CHANNEL  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. GETS MORE OUTLETS: Burbank-based Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966)Disney, Walter Elias Disney Co. reached a multiyear agreement with TCI (Trustworthy Computing Initiative) An umbrella term from Microsoft for its efforts to improve security in Windows. TCI was announced in 2002 after viruses such as Code Red and Nimda had succeeded in attacking numerous Windows computers. Communications Inc. for the nation's largest cable operator to carry the Disney Channel in a variety of programming packages. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Subscribers are usually required to pay more to receive the Disney Channel, which is currently seen in 27 million homes. TCI has 13.4 million subscribers in the United States. HARMAT ACQUIRES SPA FAUCET: Spa Faucet Inc., a Chatsworth maker of kitchen, lavatory and bath fixtures, will be acquired by The Harmat Organization in an exchange of securities. Spa Faucet will operate as a subsidiary of Harmat, a real estate and construction company. Leonardo Sudman, president of Spa Faucet, will head the subsidiary. KINKO'S OPENS DOWN UNDER: Kinko's Inc., a copying and business services chain based in Ventura, is opening a branch in Sydney, Australia, in a joint venture with WC Penfold, an Australian provider of stationery and office supplies. The branch is in the city's business district. Kinko's operates more than 850 locations in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and Australia. EARNINGS CSL (Computerese as a Second Language) Said of people who love to speak high-tech words even though they often use them erroneously. See TLA. 1. CSL - Computer Structure Language. A computer hardware description language, written in BCPL. Lighting Manufacturing Inc. Valencia-based lighting fixtures maker Year End 1996 1995 Sales $12.3 million $15 million Net Income (Loss) ($3.2 million) ($3.6 million) Earnings Per Share (60 cents) (89 cents) The company reduced unprofitable product offerings, yielding an 8 percent increase in gross margins. CAPTION(S): 2 Charts Chart: (1--Color) DOW INDUSTRIALS (2--Color) BIZ FACTS INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VIEWING Annual percent change in number of movie screens, 1986-96: Knight-Ridder Tribune Graphics Network |
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