Earthquake shakes up Travelers profits: Mother Nature put a dent n Travelers Cos.’s first-quarter earnings as the insurer racked up costs related to the Chilean earthquake and East Cost storms. New York-based Travelers, which has substantial operations in St. Paul, reported net income of $647 million, or $1.25 per share, for the quarter ended March 31, compared with $662 million, or $1.11 per share, for the same quarter last year. Read full story
Select Comfort stock up sharply after Q1 results: Select Comfort Corp. stock was up more than 20 percent Thursday, a day after the manufacturer and retailer of the adjustable Sleep Number bed reported first-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ expectations. Plymouth, Minn.-based Select Comfort reported a profit of $7.8 million, or 14 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2010, compared to a loss of $2.7 million, or 6 cents share, in the first quarter of 2009. Read full story
Industry group fines U.S. Bank $275,000: US. Bancorp’s investments subsidiary has settled with the financial industry’s self-regulatory organization over charges related to the selling of auction-rate securities before the market for those securities collapsed in 2008. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, on Thursday said it fined U.S. Bank $275,000. Read full story
Vikings’ Jared Allen buys Chanhassen house for $1.3M: Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has new digs near Lake Lucy in Chanhassen, according to Carver County property records. Allen bought the six-bedroom, six-bathroom house at 6915 Lucy Ridge Lane for $1.3 million. The previous owner was Craig Mandery, owner of Quantum Graphics Inc. in Eden Prairie. Read full story
