Briefs: Brunswick makes production move

LAKE FOREST -- Brunswick, the maker of Bayliner boats and Mercury marine engines, will transfer production from a plant in Mississippi to one in Minnesota, resulting in 170 job cuts and about $5 million in costs. New jobs will be created at the Little Falls, Minn., facility, which will begin production of aluminum fishing boats that were made in Aberdeen, Miss., the Lake Forest-based company said Thursday.

Oil continues climb to record prices

NEW YORK -- Oil prices surpassed $90 a barrel for the first time Thursday as the falling dollar drew new foreign investors and speculators to dollar-denominated energy futures. Light, sweet crude for November delivery hit $90.02 in electronic trading Thursday evening before returning to around $89.60. Earlier, prices had risen $2.07 to settle at a record $89.47 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Google's profit climbs 46 percent

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google said Thursday it earned $1.07 billion, or $3.38 per share, for the three months ended in September, a 46 percent improvement from net income of $733.4 million, or $2.36 per share, at the same time last year. Revenue for the period totaled $4.23 billion, a 57 percent increase from $2.67 billion last year.

Molex revenues fall 4.5 percent

LISLE -- Electronic components firm Molex, based in Lisle, reported Thursday revenue for the quarter ended in September was $792.6 million, a decrease of 4.5 percent over the same period last fiscal year. Net income for the quarter was $53.3 million, or 29 cents per share.

Bank of America sees profit fall

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bank of America on Thursday posted a 32 percent profit drop in the third quarter. Net income declined to $3.7 billion, or 82 cents per share, from $5.42 billion, or $1.18 per share, a year ago. Revenue fell 12 percent to $16.3 billion. Analysts expected earnings of $1.06 per share on revenue of $18.3 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Financial.

ROCKFORD -- Amcore Financial Inc. said Thursday it will increase its third quarter provision for loan losses by $11.1 million, above the previous quarter's $4.2 million. The Rockford-based bank chain is also selling longer-term mortgage-backed bonds from its investment portfolio. The moves come in the wake of its net income falling 85 percent, to $1.9 million. Sales also decreased 13 percent compared to the same quarter last year, to $54.4 million. Bank officials cautioned the losses and bond sales were not related to subprime problems.

AptarGroup posts record earnings

CRYSTAL LAKE -- AptarGroup Inc. on Thursday reported third quarter sales rose 20 percent to a record $485.7 million. The Crystal Lake-based dispenser firm said operating income also increased 29 percent, to $57.4 million, from a year ago at this time.

OAKBROOK TERRACE -- DeVry Inc. on Thursday said it signed an agreement to acquire Advanced Academics Inc. for $27.5 million in cash. Oakbrook Terrace-based DeVry said the Oklahoma City, Okla.-based Advanced Academics supplements traditional high school classes with online instruction and operates virtual high schools.

Amcore makes moves after slowing

ROCKFORD -- Amcore Financial Inc. said Thursday it will increase its third quarter provision for loan losses by $11.1 million, above the previous quarter's $4.2 million. The Rockford-based bank chain is also selling longer-term mortgage-backed bonds from its investment portfolio. The moves come in the wake of its net income falling 85 percent, to $1.9 million. Sales also decreased 13 percent compared to the same quarter last year, to $54.4 million.

Career Education passes panel's test

HOFFMAN ESTATES -- Shares of Career Education Corp. rose the most in five months in New York trading after an accrediting association panel said no corrective action should be taken on student records and recruiting concerns at the company's American InterContinental University campuses. The Hoffman Estates-based education chain rose $4.44, or 14 percent, to $35.08. Its shares have climbed 60 percent in 12 months. The action could clear the way for a higher panel to lift a two-year probation on certification.

Amcore makes moves after slowing

ROCKFORD -- Amcore Financial Inc. said Thursday it will increase its third-quarter provision for loan losses by $11 million, above the previous quarter's $4.2 million. At the same time, the Rockford-based bank chain said its profits fell 85 percent, to $1.9 million in the latest quarter. Sales also decreased 13 percent to $54.4 million.

LAKE FOREST -- Packaging Corp. of America on Thursday reported record quarterly profits of $49 million, up 11 percent from last year during the same quarter. Third quarter net sales were $591 million, up 2.8 percent compared to last year. The Lake Forest-based container board company also increased its dividend and share buyback program.

IDEX purchases quality control firm

NORTHBROOK -- IDEX Corp. on Thursday announced a $30 million acquisition of Isolation Technologies, a developer in the high performance liquid chromatography market. Commercial uses for such instruments include drug discovery and quality control for pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries. Northbrook-based IDEX said Hopedale, MA.-based Isolation Technologies posts annual sales of $11 million.