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Business Briefs

Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire

Friday, May 26, 2000

Bankoh testing online statements

Bank of Hawaii is asking 200 of the customers who view their credit card statements online to try a new system that will give them what the software creator, Encirq, calls "illustrated statements." The statements will include links to Web sites of the businesses they patronized as well as some advertisements and other information.

The customers will also be able to design the way they want their statements to look and the Encirq software will enable vendors to build a profile of each customer and respond with appropriate coupons and offers.

If the test customers like the program it will be launched systemwide later this year, the bank said. Meanwhile, the technology can be viewed on San Francisco-based Encirq's Web site, www.encirq.com.

Office Depot warns of lower earnings

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Office Depot Inc., the biggest U.S. office-supply retailer, said second-quarter profit will fall because of lower-than-expected sales of computers and a stronger dollar.

Its shares tumbled $3, or 29 percent, to $7.50 in midday trading and earlier touched $6.871/2, the lowest in eight years. The decline is Office Depot's biggest since it went public in 1989.

mutually beneficial.

McDonald's closes Boston Market deal

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp., the world's largest restaurant company, completed the $176.2 million acquisition of Boston Market's operations and named two executives to head them.

Jeffrey Kindler, McDonald's executive vice president, will be Boston Market's chairman and chief executive. Michael Andres, McDonald's senior vice president, becomes Boston Market's president and chief operating officer.

A U.S. bankruptcy court last week approved the sale by Boston Chicken Inc. McDonald's plans to operate most of the restaurants, which sell roasted chicken and meatloaf dinners, under the Boston Market name.

ABC reaches pact with Time Warner

NEW YORK -- Ending one of the most rancorous negotiations in the history of cable television, Time Warner Inc. and Walt Disney Co. completed a deal that allows the cable company to continue carrying Disney's ABC television stations for the next six years.

The Disney stations reach 3.5 million Time Warner Cable customers in seven cities, including New York and Los Angeles. Both sides called the deal

Suzuki libel lawsuit dismissed by judge

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Suzuki Motor Corp. against the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine for a 1988 article reporting the Suzuki Samurai was rollover-prone.

U.S. District Judge Alicemarie Stotler ruled yesterday that Suzuki had not sufficiently supported its claim that the magazine acted maliciously to damage the reputation of the vehicle.

Mattel pays bonus to new chairman

WASHINGTON -- Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie dolls, eased new Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Eckert into his post with a signing bonus of $2.8 million and restricted stock worth $7.7 million.El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel on May 16 hired Eckert from the top job at Kraft Foods Inc.