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Business news in brief

In the Region

New CEO at Doylestown Hospital

Doylestown Hospital said James Brexler will become its next president and chief executive officer, succeeding Richard A. Reif, who is retiring after 23 years in those positions. Brexler, 60, is to take over in mid- to late January, the hospital said. Brexler had been chief executive of Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tenn., for eight years before retiring suddenly last November amid a board shake-up of senior management, according to local reports. He is currently a consultant for Vanderbilt University Hospital. - Harold Brubaker

Ametek announces two acquisitions

Electronic instruments maker Ametek Inc., of Berwyn, said it acquired the aviation repair operations Aero Components International and Avtech Avionics & Instruments for undisclosed sums. Both companies were privately held and based in Miami. Aero repairs and overhauls fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic, power generation and heat exchanger components, while Avtech's specialty is the repair and maintenance of avionics and instruments. The businesses both operate facilities near Ametek's aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. - AP

Pfizer raises dividend

Pfizer Inc. approved a 9 percent increase in its common stock dividend, to 24 cents from 22 cents. The New York-based drugmaker with local operations said the quarterly dividend will be paid on March 5 to shareholders of record Feb. 1. Pfizer shares rose 24 cents to $25.42 in midday trading. - AP

Pa. gets $2.7M in Glaxo settlement

Through a case prosecuted by federal authorities in Boston, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging's PACE program will get $2.7 million to help uninsured residents pay for prescription medicine. GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. settled its case in 2007 after it and 12 other drug companies were accused of falsely setting average wholesale prices for drugs, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said. The $2.7 million represents Pennsylvania's share of the money that remained after all other claims had been satisfied. - David Sell

Utility sells $300M in notes

American Water Works Co., of Voorhees, said it sold $300 million of 4.3 percent senior notes due Dec. 1, 2042. The utility said it would use the proceeds to refinance and repay debt. Underwriters included BofA Merrill Lynch; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; RBS Securities Inc.; PNC Capital Markets L.L.C.; U.S. Bancorp Investments Inc.; TD Securities (USA) L.L.C.; and BNY Mellon Capital Markets L.L.C. - Inquirer staff

Lockheed wins $2.6B contract

Lockheed Martin Corp., based in Maryland but with major operations in the Philadelphia region, is expected to receive a military satellite contract from the Air Force by Dec. 31 that may be valued at almost $2.6 billion, according to the service and the company. The contract would cover the purchase of two space vehicles, the final installment in a six-satellite constellation of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications program. - Bloomberg News

Notes tendered in Radian exchange

Radian Group Inc., the Philadelphia-based provider of private mortgage insurance, said that as of Friday, investors had tendered for exchange $195.2 million of an eligible $250 million in senior notes originally due June 15, 2015. The company is offering to exchange those 5.375 percent notes for 9 percent notes due June 15, 2017, for what it describes as "purposes of improving its debt maturity profile." The offer is to expire Dec. 31. - Inquirer staff

Boeing raises dividend

Boeing Co., with a plant in Delaware County, increased its dividend by 10 percent and resumed a $3.6 billion share buyback as revenue was bolstered by higher orders and deliveries even while shares lag. The quarterly dividend will climb to 48.5 cents a share from 44 cents and the company plans to buy back as much as $2 billion in shares in 2013, Chicago-based Boeing said. - Bloomberg News

Mixed report on Pa. gaming revenue

Pennsylvania's gaming board said casino table games revenue from the state's 11 casinos was $55.9 million last month, up 3.4 percent from $54 million during November 2011. This year's figures, however, include $2.6 million generated from table games at the state's newest casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort. Table games revenue was down slightly when looking only at revenue from casinos that were open during both periods. - AP

Elsewhere

Airline bag-fee collections up

The federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics said U.S. airlines collected $924 million in baggage fees in the third quarter - up almost 3 percent from the same period last year. Some of the biggest gains were at United Continental Holdings Inc. United collected $187.3 million in bag fees in the third quarter, up 10.8 percent from a year earlier. Delta Air Lines Inc. is the second-biggest airline by traffic, but it has the top spot for baggage fees. It has collected $662.8 million so far this year, up slightly from the same time last year. Baggage fee collections are down sharply at American Airlines. It took in $138.3 million in the most recent quarter, down 9.5 percent from a year earlier. - AP

$5M fine over Facebook IPO

Morgan Stanley has agreed to pay Massachusetts $5 million for arranging with Facebook Inc. to disclose a revenue shortfall to certain analysts ahead of Facebook's IPO. Authorities say Facebook lost confidence in its estimate for $5 billion in revenue for 2012, and Morgan Stanley arranged for the information to be shared by phone with analysts at major underwriters. After the briefings, analysts cut their forecasts by 3 percent. - AP