ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610240028
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
Executives optimistic, but only until January
NEW YORK - U.S. business executives expect the economy to continue growing through the end of the year but are taking a wait-and-see approach about early next year, Dun & Bradstreet Corp. reported Wednesday.
The small businesses were less optimistic than the medium- and large-sized businesses that participated in Dun & Bradstreet's quarterly survey of 3,000 executives nationwide.
``Because they tend to operate on relatively narrow profit margins, small businesses can be very sensitive to early changes in the economy,'' said Joseph Duncan, Dun & Bradstreet's chief economic adviser. ``Their new pessimism may be an early sign that conditions will soften in the first half of 1997.''
Larger businesses expected fourth-quarter sales and profits to increase about the same rate as in the third quarter, while small businesses expected selling prices to grow more slowly.
Even among the optimistic businesses, fewer expected to maintain high inventories through the end of the year, the survey showed.
- Associated Press
JVC workers take bosses hostage
LONGWY, France - Employees of consumer electronics maker JVC took their Japanese and French bosses captive Wednesday to protest the planned closure of a stereo factory.
The workers, who claim the company is moving the operation to Scotland to cut labor costs, locked about 10 executives in a room in the morning and held them until early evening, apparently without getting any results.
- Associated Press
MCA-Viacom trial recessed for talks
WILMINGTON, Del. - A recess in the trial over joint ownership of cable TV's USA Networks by MCA Inc. and Viacom Inc. has been extended to give the two sides more time to negotiate a settlement.
Recent published reports have said Viacom is close to a deal in which it would pay $1.45 billion and exchange its 50 percent interest in the Sci-Fi Channel for the 50 percent of USA Network it doesn't own.
- Associated Press
Briefly
* Crestar Bank has opened a full-service branch in the newly remodeled Wal-Mart store in Salem. It is Crestar's second branch in a Wal-Mart and its sixth in a grocery or retail store in its Western Region. The others are at Rocky Mount, Charlottesville, Staunton and Winchester. D.J. Church will manage the new branch.
* American Electric Power Co. on Wednesday declared a regular quarterly dividend of 60 cents per share, payable Dec. 10 to shareholders on Nov. 8.
* Randy Reiss has quit as executive vice president of Walt Disney Studios, saying he doesn't fit in after Disney's acquisition of ABC-TV. Reiss, a key television executive since joining Disney in 1987, said Wednesday the decision follows frank discussions with the new management.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB