BRIEFCASE SUPERIOR TO DOLE OUT QUARTERLY CASH.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

VAN NUYS - Superior Industries International Inc. announced Tuesday that it will distribute a regular quarterly cash dividend on the common stock of the corporation. Dividends will be $0.1375 per share payable April 23, 2004, to shareholders of record as of April 9, 2004.

Probe of Putnam finds disregard

BOSTON - Executives at Putnam Investments did not regard improper trading by several portfolio managers as serious misconduct and were slow to stop excessive trading by a handful of outside investors, according to an internal investigation of Putnam's trading practices.

But the six-month investigation also found that, despite shortcomings, the country's sixth-largest mutual fund company largely did a good job of policing improper trading.

Poll: Conviction not buying factor

DETROIT - Martha Stewart's conviction isn't influencing people on whether to buy her products, a national poll released Tuesday indicated.

And that's good news for Troy, Mich.-based Kmart Holding Corp., the nation's third-largest discount retailer, which has an exclusive agreement to sell Martha Stewart Everyday merchandise through 2008 at its 1,500 stores.

Sixty-eight percent of consumers surveyed said that Stewart's March 5 conviction related to her 2001 sale of Imclone stock would have no impact on their buying decisions.

Nearly a quarter, or 24 percent, of consumers polled said they were less likely to purchase a Martha Stewart-branded product as a result of her conviction. And 8 percent said they were more likely to purchase Stewart products. The scientific survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The national survey of 1,500 people was conducted online March 9-12. It was conducted by NPD Group, which tracks sales and marketing information on a number of industries, and HomeWorld Business Magazine, a retail trade publication for the housewares and home decor industries.

Kmart declined comment on Tuesday.