Business memo 10/07/02

Seminar on estate planning set for Oct. 29

A family business seminar on estate planning is scheduled for Oct. 29 at Southeast Missouri State University. The seminar will be held from 8:45 a.m. until noon in Glenn Auditorium of Robert A. Dempster Hall.

The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Small Business Management at the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

The half-day seminar, titled "New Rules to an Old Game: Family Business and Estate Planning Under New Tax Laws," is designed specifically for family members and key employees of family business and their personal family business/financial advisers. Family businesses are encouraged to attend with their financial advisers as the seminar will emphasize revisions in tax laws. Certain professionals who attend may earn 3.0 continuing education credits.

Space is limited for the free seminar and luncheon. Those planning to attend must register by calling (573) 651-2924 or e-mail msteinhoff@semo.edu.

Prudential, council team up for volunteer day

Employees from Prudential Insurance and Prudential Bridgeport Realty in Cape Girardeau will volunteer their time in area elementary schools Tuesday as part of Prudential's Global Volunteer Day.

Volunteers are scheduled to visit classrooms, help with assignments and talk with students. The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will offer a breakfast reception for the volunteers and other services to kick off the program. For being part of Global Volunteer Day, the council will receive a $1,000 grant to be used for their Children's Arts Festival, which began last week and served over 1,000 area third-through-sixth-graders.

Established in October 1995, Global Volunteer Day began as a way that Prudential employees could get involved in their communities, and has since developed into a project that involves nearly 37,500 employees in 875 projects in 18 counties.

Jackson chamber to hold Business After Hours

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce will hold its regular Business After Hours at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Commerce Bank, 2025 E. Jackson Blvd.

The event is hosted by Commerce Bank and Bluff City Beer and will feature drinks, food and door prizes.

Labor Department reports rise in jobless claims

WASHINGTON -- New claims for jobless benefits rose last week, highlighting the difficulties workers and companies are facing as the economy struggles to return to full health.

For the work week ending Sept. 28, new applications for unemployment insurance climbed by a seasonally adjusted 5,000 to 417,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The increase was slightly larger than analysts were predicting and followed a drop of 18,000 in the prior week.

For six weeks straight, new claims for unemployment benefits have been above the 400,000 mark, a level associated with a stagnant job market.

Marriott earnings climb during third quarter

BETHESDA, Md. -- Hotel operator Marriott International said Thursday that third-quarter earnings rose 5 percent as tax breaks for the company's new synthetic fuel business offset a continued slump in hotel room demand.

The results beat Wall Street expectations and the company raised its guidance for earnings for the year.

Marriott reported earnings of $103 million, or 41 cents per share, for the quarter ending Sept. 6, up from $101 million, or 39 cents per share, in the 2001 third quarter.

Revenue rose to $2.45 billion in the quarter from $2.37 billion a year ago.

-- From staff, wire reports