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NATION
Wider recall for coronary stent

NATICK, Mass. » Boston Scientific announced a wider recall of its recently approved drug-coated coronary stent yesterday, as well as a recall of another stent. Shares in Boston Scientific sank 13 percent.

The company recalled 200 units of the Taxus Express2 stent on July 2 because of a problem with a tiny balloon placed inside arteries to inflate the stent once it has been surgically moved into place.

Yesterday, the company said further analysis had identified additional production lots that may have the same problem.

Carnival cruises Cunard to Calif.

Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator, will move its Cunard Line's North American operations to California from Miami, eliminating as many as 300 positions and saving about $20 million in annual costs.

About 135 workers will be offered other jobs in the company, with the rest given severance, Julie Benson, a spokeswoman for Carnival's P&O Princess line, said in an interview. The Cunard Line's operations will be moved to Santa Clarita, Calif., by the end of the year, Miami-based Carnival said in a statement.

Cunard will share administrative, finance and technology operations with Princess after the move. Carnival acquired the Princess line with its purchase of P&O Princess Cruises PLC last year.

Dell hands reins over to Rollins

AUSTIN, Texas » Dell Inc. founder and chairman Michael Dell formally handed over the chief executive job to president Kevin Rollins yesterday as the computer giant raised its earnings guidance for the second quarter.

Dell, who started the company in 1984 while a student at the University of Texas, announced in March he was stepping down as CEO. The title was transferred to Rollins at the company's annual stockholders' meeting yesterday. Rollins also was elected to the board of directors.

Delphi meets profit expectations

DETROIT » Delphi Corp. posted a higher second-quarter profit as the world's largest automotive parts supplier continued to expand business aside from its No. 1 customer, General Motors Corp., but it warned of a possible third-quarter loss.

Troy-based Delphi said yesterday it earned $131 million, or 23 cents a share, in the April-June period, up from $88 million, or 16 cents a share, in the year-ago period.

Excluding charges related to restructuring and a reduction of income tax reserves associated with a federal audit, Delphi earned $156 million, or 28 cents a share, in line with the consensus estimate of Wall Street analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call.

Hasbro overcomes poor sales

PROVIDENCE, R.I. » Cost-efficiency efforts helped toymaker Hasbro Inc. post higher earnings in the second quarter, despite revenue reductions the company attributed to lower Beyblade sales.

The nation's second biggest toymaker after Mattel Inc. said yesterday it earned $18.8 million, or 6 cents per share, in the three months ended June 27, up from $11.4 million, or 6 cents per share, last year.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call expected the company to earn 8 cents per share in the latest quarter.

Revenues for the quarter fell 11 percent to $516.4 million from $581.5 million a year ago.

Court throws out trucker rules

WASHINGTON » A federal court threw out new rules for commercial truckers yesterday, ruling that the Bush administration had failed to consider whether allowing drivers to stay behind the wheel longer could harm their health.

The rule changes, the first for truckers in 60 years, have allowed drivers to work up to 11 straight hours, one more hour than previously allowed, and to log a maximum of 77 hours over seven days, 17 more than before.