Jiminy Crickets! Disney sales signal end

Liquidation sales have began at several area Disney Stores, according to employees. Stores in Ross Park Mall, the Mall at Robinson, Century III Mall and Westmoreland Mall are being shuttered, although a store at South Hills Village will remain open. The Walt Disney Co. recently bought about 220 Disney stores from subsidiaries of The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc., as well as the right to conduct an orderly closing of approximately 100 others.

Forum focuses on steel's future

The future of the steel industry is the subject of a town hall forum tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The forum is part of AISTech 2008 -- The Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition, which started yesterday and ends Thursday. The forum will discuss such issues as safety, the steel economy in the climate of a weak dollar, raw materials and climate change. Executives from U.S. Steel, Nucor, ArcelorMittal and Tube City are scheduled to participate in the forum.

U.S. Steel kicks off expansion

U.S. Steel and a subsidiary of SunCoke Energy broke ground yesterday on a $570 million project at the steelmaker's Granite City, Ill. Works that includes a coke plant capable of producing 650,000 tons of the blast furnace fuel annually. U.S. Steel will provide $280 million for the project, which is expected to take 18 months to complete.

U.S. bill targets Chinese exports

U.S. companies that claim to be negatively affected by Chinese imports would get greater support under a bill that U.S. Reps. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, and Phil English, R-Erie, plan to introduce this week. The Supporting America's Manufacturers Act would establish congressional review of the president's decisions regarding whether to provide temporary relief -- in the form of import duties or quotas -- to U.S. companies.

Equitable plans public offering

Equitable Resources said yesterday it would sell 7.5 million shares of stock in a public offering. The offering is valued at $503.2 million at yesterday's closing price of $67.09. The company has $122.2 million shares outstanding.

Treasury bill rates inch upward

The Treasury Department yesterday auctioned $22 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 1.610 percent, up from 1.420 percent last week. Another $21 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 1.740 percent, up from 1.700 percent last week.