Business

UPS Inc. said late Thursday it increased its quarterly dividend to 42 cents a share, from 38 cents.

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American Trucking Associations has filed a petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last week seeking amendments to rules regarding employer notification and drivers.

Fourth-quarter intermodal volume rose 0.6% from the same period a year earlier, capping off a fifth straight year of growth, the Intermodal Association of North America said.

Toronto-based transportation and logistics firm Vitran Corp.’s fourth-quarter profit was $5 million or 37 cents a share, compared with $5 million or 39 cents a year earlier.

Tire retreader Bandag Inc. reported fourth-quarter net income of $10.9 million or 56 cents a share, compared with $12 million or 62 cents a year earlier.

Swedish truck maker Scania AB plans to boost 2006 shareholder dividends to about $1.43 billion, as booming European sales leave truck makers flush with cash, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Transportation and third-party logistics firm Pacer International’s fourth-quarter net income rose to $21.5 million or 57 cents a share, from $20.4 million or 54 cents a year earlier.

Wholesale inventories fell 0.5% in December, the most since May 2003, as sales surged, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

First-time U.S. jobless claims rose 3,000 last week to 311,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.