Business news in brief

Smart Devine, the Philadelphia accounting firm started by James Smart after he sold the former Smart & Associates to a private-equity firm for $60 million in 2007, has merged with King of Prussia-based Hanna, McGlone & Co. The combined firm will employ more than 80. "A significant component of our long-term growth strategy is to grow through merger and acquisition," founder Smart said in a statement. The combination helps Hanna, McGlone staff "more capably serve clientele by providing a greater depth and array of accounting, tax, and consulting services while maintaining the culture of discrete personal service," said Hanna McGlone chief Jim Hanna. The combined firm will be based at Smart Devine's office, 1600 Market St. - Joseph N. DiStefano

The average cost of a gallon of regular gas nationwide fell to $3.25, the lowest it has been since Dec. 26, 2012, according to AAA. That's 22 cents cheaper than a year ago, and down 34 cents since Sept. 1. In South Jersey, more than two dozen stations were charging less than $3 a gallon for regular. In Philadelphia and its suburbs, the lows were $3.11 at a BJ's in Oaks and an Eastcoast in Jeffersonville, and $3.12 at a 7-Eleven in Jeffersonville, according to Philly.com's Philadelphia Gas Prices report. In the city itself, the cheapest was $3.13 at a Valero at Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue. Lower crude oil costs, a seasonal decline in the demand, and a switchover to cheaper winter formulations have all helped drive prices down. - Peter Mucha

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking public comments on a proposal that would allow barges to transport shale gas wastewater. The wastewater is a byproduct of the drilling process, and it can include both human-made chemicals and naturally occurring heavy metals and radiation. The wastewater is currently stored at drilling sites or transported by truck or rail to treatment plants or underground deep injection wells. In recent years significant amounts of Marcellus Shale waste from Pennsylvania has been taken to Ohio. But the Coast Guard says barge companies are interested in taking wastewater to final disposal sites in Texas and Louisiana, too. - AP

AmerisourceBergen Corp., the Valley Forge pharmaceutical services company, said it raised its quarterly dividend to 23.5 cents per common share, from 21 cents per share - an increase of 12 percent. The dividend is payable Dec. 2 to shareholders of record Nov. 18, the company said. Shares fell 22 cents, to close at $66.87. - Reid Kanaley

Shares of the electric-car maker Tesla Motors tumbled in after-hours trading after the automaker's third-quarter results fell short of expectations. Tesla said it sold just over 5,500 of its Model S sedans in the July-September period - a record for the automaker but lower than some analysts had predicted. Tesla lost $38.5 million, or 32 cents per share, in the quarter. Its revenue jumped to $431 million, up 6 percent from the second quarter and up from $50.1 million in the July-September period last year. That was far short of the $547.5 million forecast by analysts, according to FactSet. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 8 cents per share. - AP

Service industries in the United States unexpectedly accelerated in October, a sign the biggest part of the economy is overcoming the policy gridlock that partially shut down the federal government. The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index increased to 55.4 from 54.4 in September, the Arizona-based group said. Readings greater than 50 indicate growth. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for a drop to 54. - Bloomberg News

The real estate provider CoreLogic said home prices increased 0.2 percent in September from the previous month. That's sharply lower than the 0.9 percent month-over- month gain in August and well below the 1.8 percent increase in July. Prices still rose 12 percent in September compared with a year ago. Higher mortgage rates and steady price increases began to slow home sales in September. As a result, price gains have cooled off. Mortgage rates are still very low. - AP

A federal prosecutor says the federal government has effectively shut down a hedge-fund giant with a deal requiring it to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges and pay a record $1.8 billion, proving that no financial institution is "too big to jail." U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said the deal with SAC Capital Advisors and related companies must be approved by federal judges in Manhattan before "the largest fine in history for insider trading offenses" takes effect. A plea hearing in the case was set for Friday. Bharara also emphasized that the agreement does not resolve current or potential cases that might be brought against any individuals, including SAC Capital Advisors billionaire founder Steven A. Cohen. - AP