Boyd turns around loss but Hawaii revenues flat

Boyd Gaming Corp., the Las Vegas company that has long been in the Hawaii-Nevada travel business as well as running casinos and hotels in Las Vegas, today reported a fourth-quarter net profit of $6.4 million, or 10 cents a share, compared to a loss of $4.7 million, or 7 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter.

Quarterly gross revenues of $295.1 million were up 2.9 percent from $286.9 million in the year-earlier quarter. That included $10.5 million, unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2000, from Vacations Hawaii, the company's Honolulu travel agency.

Full-year revenues of $1.22 billion were down 2.4 percent from $1.25 billion and included $43.6 million from Vacations Hawaii, up 3.6 percent from $42.1 million in 2000.

Boyd's downtown Las Vegas properties are popular among Hawaii residents. The company has recently expanded to the Atlantic coast.

Dole increases dividend by 50 percent to 15 cents

Dole Food Co. has raised its quarterly dividend by 50 percent, making good on a promise in December by its chief financial officer, Kenneth Kay.

The new dividend of 15 cents a share, up from 10 cents, will be paid March 21 to shareholders of record Feb. 25. The company recently announced a 92 percent increase in its full-profit, reporting a 2001 net of $79.4 million, or $1.41 a share, compared to a 2000 result of $41.3 million, or 74 cents a share.

Dole finished up 67 cents at $29.55 today on the New York Stock Exchange.

Pearlridge Dialysis getting new owner

St. Francis Medical Center is selling its share of the St. Francis Pearlridge Dialysis Facility to its partner in the joint venture.

The dialysis facility will be sold to Lexington, Mass.-based Fresenius Medical Care North America. The 25 employees and 120 patients have been given the option to stay with St. Francis at another facility or remain at the Pearlridge location under the new management, according to St. Francis spokeswoman Maggie Jarrett. The sales price was not disclosed.

Food Pantry Ltd. closes Waikiki resort store

Resort Sundries No. 41 at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel is to close, terminating the employment of six employees.

A notice filed with the state Department of Labor lists the tentative closing date as Feb. 28 and indicates the six employees may apply for positions at other locations owned by Honolulu-based Food Pantry Ltd.

The company also operates other visitor convenience stores, hotel gift and sundry shops, superettes and convenience stores under such names as Handi Pantry, Lamonts and Food Pantry.

Last month the company entered into a sublease agreement for its Handi Pantry store No. 11 on Harding Avenue; the company also closed its Whaler's General Store in Lahaina at the end of October.

Daiei founder steps down from corporate posts

TOKYO >> Supermarket chain Daiei Inc. founder and former Chairman Isao Nakauchi has stepped down from all his executive posts at Daiei group, company officials said yesterday.

Among other jobs Nakauchi resigned from are chairman of the Daiei Hawks professional baseball team and senior advisory posts at restaurant chain Volks Inc. and department store Printemps Ginza S.A., Kyodo news service reported.

Nakauchi had previously expressed his intention to step down from his executive posts in Daiei group companies to take responsibility for having led the group to a point where it was forced to seek a huge bailout package from its creditors.