REGION

REGION
Fund-raisers planluncheon meeting
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning/Shenango Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is sponsoring a "Meet the Funders" luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at Youngstown Country Club. Fund-raising professionals will be able to meet representatives from financial institutions and foundations. Cost is $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Call Gloria Cagigas at (724) 946-7368 for reservations.
Company looks intobuying Bethlehem Steel
CLEVELAND -- International Steel Group said Tuesday it is in the preliminary stages of examining Bethlehem Steel Corp. for a possible acquisition.
The two sides signed an agreement that gives ISG the exclusive right to perform due diligence at Bethlehem -- the first step before buying a company. The agreement expires Jan. 6.
ISG was formed in March from the ashes of LTV Corp., a Cleveland-based steelmaker that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2000 and then shut down completely.
Bethlehem, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in October 2001, has already had several suitors, including U.S. Steel of Pittsburgh and Companhia Siderurgica Nacionale of Brazil, but its pension and health care costs for retirees have stymied any attempt at consolidation.
NATION
Microsoft investorscall for dividends
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- With Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust battle with the government largely resolved, shareholders are focusing their attention elsewhere -- on the software company's $40 billion hoard of cash.
At Microsoft's annual shareholders' meeting Tuesday, investors clamored for the company to pay dividends or offer some incentive to keep a stock that now trades at less than half its value of late 1999. The stock rose 58 cents on the Nasdaq Stock Market to close Tuesday at $56.68 a share.
Chief financial officer John Connors said the board has no plans for dividends. He said the company invests heavily in research and development and still faces numerous lawsuits.
From Vindicator staff and wire reports