BRIEFCASE JB OXFORD FULFILLS AMERITRADE DEAL.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

Los Angeles-based Oxford Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday that its retail brokerage subsidiary, JB Oxford & Co., completed the sale of substantially all its retail accounts to Ameritrade Inc.

The closing date for the transaction was last Friday. The purchase price was fixed at $25.87 million, and the initial payment required has been received by JB Oxford.

The balance of the purchase price is payable in January.

JB Oxford transferred about 45,000 client accounts to Ameritrade.

Countrywide says loan fundings off

CALABASAS - Countrywide Financial Corp. announced Tuesday that loan fundings totaled $31 billion for the month of September, essentially flat compared to August and down 6 percent from a year ago.

As a result of lower industrywide refinance activity, third quarter volume of $92 billion declined $8 billion from the second quarter of 2004 and 27 percent from the third quarter of 2003.

Year-to-date loan fundings reached $268 billion, a decrease of 25 percent from the first nine months of 2003.

Monthly purchase activity of $17 billion was 34 percent greater than September 2003.

Adjustable-rate loan fundings for September reached a record high of $21 billion, an increase of 15 percent over the prior month and 109 percent more than September 2003.

SMTEK earnings up in first quarter

MOORPARK - SMTEK International Inc.'s financial turnaround continued, as the electronic services manufacturing company announced encouraging first quarter results on Tuesday.

Revenue climbed to $29.9 million from $20.7 million in the same period a year ago. Income edged up slightly to $1.34 million, 45 cents per share, from $1.31 million, 56 cents per share a year ago when the company had fewer outstanding shares. Gross margin slipped slightly to 12.2 percent from 13 percent a year ago, which the company attributed to a change in product mix.

Record sales lift Intel's Q3 profits

SAN JOSE - Driven by record sales of server and mobile microprocessors and a bigger slice of the flash memory market, Intel Corp.'s third- quarter profits rose 15 percent even as it struggled with lackluster PC sales, excess inventory and stiff competition.

But the world's largest semiconductor company also said it expects a weaker-than-usual holiday season, with overall sales between $8.6 billion and $9.2 billion.

Fox reality show may draw big fine

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators proposed a record indecency fine of nearly $1.2 million Tuesday against Fox Broadcasting Co. for an episode of its reality series ``Married by America'' that included graphic scenes from bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The Federal Communications Commission officials voted unanimously to fine each of the 169 Fox TV stations that aired the program $7,000. Fox has 30 days to appeal the fines, which total $1,183,000.

The fine is the most ever for a television broadcaster. The previous record of $550,000 was levied against CBS last month for the Super Bowl halftime show last February that included a racy duet in which singer Janet Jackson's breast was briefly exposed.