BRIEFCASE IHOP CHAIN POSTS EARNINGS INCREASE.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

GLENDALE - IHOP Corp. announced Monday that systemwide sales increased 13.1 percent in the first quarter ended March 31, compared with same period in 2002.

Systemwide comparable-store sales increased by 2.2 percent.

Julia A. Stewart, IHOP's president and CEO, said the company is extremely pleased with the systemwide comparable-store sales increase.

``We believe that the performance demonstrated the benefits of our new advertising promotion and new product activities,'' she said.

IHOP will release full financial results for the first quarter May 8, before the market opens.

IHOP restaurants are developed, operated and franchised by Glendale- based IHOP Corp.

THQ in contract for Relic software

CALABASAS - THQ Inc. announced on Monday a multiyear publishing agreement with Relic Entertainment Inc, a leading developer of electronic entertainment software.

The first of the two projects included in the agreement is already under development at Relic and is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2004.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Students manage USC endowment

A group of MBA students managed a portion of the University of Southern California's endowment and ``significantly outperformed'' market benchmarks for the period between April 1, 2002, and March 31, USC announced Monday.

``The MBA students mounted a successful investment strategy despite the threat of terrorism, the war with Iraq and overall economic uncertainty,'' said finance professor Suh-Pyng Ku, instructor of the class.

``Although the student investment funds did not produce positive absolute returns, the students demonstrated their money management ability by beating predetermined benchmarks for each of three funds,'' Ku said.

Each year, a dozen MBA candidates from USC's Marshall School of Business are selected to manage a portion of the university's endowment.

The students, working in teams of four, are responsible for three equity funds and gain real-world investment management experience.

Short-term T-bills interest rates dip

WASHINGTON - Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills fell in Monday's auction with three-month bills dipping to the lowest level since late March.

The Treasury Department auctioned $15 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 1.120 percent. An additional $16 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 1.140 percent.

The three-month rate was down from 1.160 percent last week and was the lowest since three-month bills averaged 1.100 percent March 31. The six-month rate was down from 1.185 percent last week and was the lowest since 1.135 percent April 7.