Breakfast Briefing // Chicago

Motorola profit falls 50% Motorola Inc.'s first-quarter earnings fell50 percent as the company failed to stem slowing sales of computerchips and wireless phone equipment amid increased competition and theeconomic slowdown in Asia. Profit from operations dropped to $142million, or 23 cents a diluted share, from $286 million, or 47 cents,in the year-earlier period. The company, which warned about theshortfall last month, was expected to earn 25 cents a share,according to analysts polled by IBES International Inc. Motorolashares fell 31 1/4 cents to $59.87 1/2 before the results wereannounced. The stock has risen about 5 percent this year, less thana third of the 16 percent gain in the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500Index.American Eagle schedules jets American Eagle said Monday it willreplace most turboprop service from O'Hare Airport to Columbus, DesMoines and Indianapolis with 50-seat regional jets in June. Flightswill begin June 5 to Columbus and Indianapolis and June 26 to DesMoines. Regional jet service at American Eagle will make its debutin Chicago May 15. American Eagle is the commuter affiliate ofAmerican Airlines.OMC, Kawasaki sign license deal Waukegan-based Outboard Marine Corp.said it has signed an agreement to license its proprietarylow-emission fuel-injection technology to Kawasaki Heavy Industriesof Kobe, Japan. Kawasaki will use the technology on its personalwatercraft.Thomson buys EDI World Chicago-based Thomson Financial Services saidits Thomson Financial Publishing unit bought EDI World Inc. EDI Worldpublishes Electronic Commerce World magazine and runs the annualElectronic Commerce World conference and exhibit. Terms of the dealweren't disclosed.Job cuts fall in March The number of planned job cuts by major U.S.businesses was lower in March than a year earlier, a survey byChicago-based employment firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas.Planned cuts were at 23,028 in March, or 54 percent lower than the50,812 cuts in March, 1997. March's total job cuts were the lowestsince September.Metzler buys information provider Metzler & Associates, a subsidiaryof Deerfield-based Metzler Group, said it bought American CorporateResources, a provider of energy industry financial and operatinginformation. Metzler provides management consultant services to theenergy industry. Metzler & Associates will now be known as MetzlerServices. Terms of the transaction weren't disclosed.1st Industrial buys warehouse First Industrial Realty Trust ofChicago said Monday it has purchased a bulk warehouse in Garden City,N.Y., for $14.5 million. The property includes 12.2 acres and isfully leased. First Industrial did not identify the seller. Theacquisition brings First Industrial's holding in the Long Islandregion to 53 buildings totaling 3.9 million quare feet. The companyowns projects in 26 states.Judge reviews Ameritech offer Lawyers for Ameritech and customerswho contended they were improperly charged for line maintenance metwith a Downstate Madison County judge Monday to examine a proposedlawsuit settlement that would provide $226 million in refunds.Chicago-based Ameritech reached the settlement with customers inNovember, but it requires a judge's approval. Two Illinois customerssued Ameritech in 1995, saying the company never asked if they wantedthe Linebacker inside wire maintenance program. They also arguedthat phone bills were designed to make it appear that the chargeswere mandatory.