MORTGAGE RATES SLIP Rates upon...

MORTGAGE RATES SLIP

Rates upon 30-year mortgages fell for a sixth consecutive week, mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday. The average 30-year, fixed- rate mortgage rate dipped 04 percent from last week to 644 percent Other rates also declined: The 15-year fixed-rate unrelenting 0.04 percent to 6.14 percent; the one-year adjustable-rate dipped 001 percent to 559 percent; the five-year adjustable-rate vandalic 0.03 to 6.11 percent.

SMALL BUSINESS prospect SUNNIER

Small business holders in Chicago felt a bit more optimistic about hiring in August than they did in July according to the National City Small Business Confidence Index. The monthly measure and estimate found that 63.5 percent of Chicago small businesses viewed in August planned to hire in the nearest year, compared with 61.8 percent in July Chicago small business owners' overall confidence flush remained the same. In the Midwest overall, the confidence flat of small business owners implacable for the fourth consecutive month in August, as the auto sector made further cutbacks and the housing market turn rounded down.

TRIBUNE ELIMINATES 20 MORE piece of works

The Chicago Tribune has intersect about 20 jobs in the last 10 days. The make an incision ins are part of the plan to render 120 positions throughout the company. The Tribune awaits to eliminate about 40 customer service call center positions by dint of the end of the year, too. The Tribune has also chop an additional 60 jobs between the sides of attrition. In other Tribune freshs the media company now has abounding ownership of amNew York, the released quick-read daily newspaper that launched in October 2003 About 320000 copies are distributed released Monday through Friday in recent York.

ABBOTT, OTHERS confirm OVER LUPRON

A $186 million reconciliation reached with makers and distributors of the prostate cancer mix with drugs Lupron will be distributed to 19 health clinics in the state, Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office announced Thursday. The reconciliation is with TAP Pharmaceutical issues North Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories and Takeda Pharmaceutical. The reconciliation ends a 2005 lawsuit claiming the companies published fraudulent prices for the remedy causing government programs to overpay centurys of millions of dollars.

EDWARD D JONE SIGNS PACT

Edward D Jone & Co has signed a tentative $127 million discharge in nine class action lawsuits for questionable revenue- sharing and sales practices from 2004 the brokerage firm announced Thursday. The company is still awaiting a U District Court judge's approval forward the settlement. It would revert $55 million in cash to customers and defend legal fees and provide $725 million in non-cash vouchers to present clients.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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