BUSINESS

UFsubhAnti-diarrhea vaccine yanked off market American HomeProducts pulled its vaccine against the leading cause of childhooddiarrhea off the market today, because of concerns that it mightincrease infants' risk of bowel obstruction. In July, the governmentadvised doctors to temporarily stop giving children the vaccineagainst rotavirus after counting at least 20 infants who developed abowel obstruction. But the vaccine's manufacturer took the biggerstep today of withdrawing the vaccine from the market because reportsof bowel obstruction possibly linked to the product have reachedabout 100, said spokesman Doug Petkus. Doctors who still have dosesof the vaccine in their offices should immediately return them to themanufacturer. Second Bank One vice chairman to leave Bank One Corp.said today that Vice Chairman Richard Lehmann will retire at the endof the year, the second vice chairman to leave the fifth-largest U.S.bank in less than three months. Lehmann, 55, had taken over thecommercial banking and asset management business from David Vitale, avice chairman who announced his retirement effective Nov. 1. Bank Onesaid in August that 1999 earnings probably would be as much as 8percent below analysts' forecasts because of slow growth at its FirstUSA Inc. credit-card unit. Lehmann had been in charge of creditcards, retail banking and Wingspanbank.com, the Internet-only bankcreated in June. Caterpillar 3rd quarter profits fall Peoria-basedCaterpillar Inc., the world's largest maker of constructionequipment, said today third-quarter profit fell 35 percent because ofdeclining orders for its most profitable equipment, such as miningtrucks. Net income dropped to $219 million, or 61 cents a share, from$336 million, or 92 cents, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue fell 8.9percent to $4.72 billion from $5.17 billion in the year-ago quarter.NYSE member pushes evaluation study A New York Stock Exchange seatowner is raising money for an independent study to value the BigBoard, saying smaller members need more say in a proposed initialstock sale. "We need people looking out for the interests of theowners," said William Higgins, a retired floor broker, in a telephoneinterview from his New Jersey home. Higgins' move highlights theconcerns of smaller exchange members as competition from electronicnetworks drives the NYSE toward change. While big securities firmsstand to benefit as trading costs decline, independent brokers'livelihoods might be threatened if computers take over some of thetasks they perform. Unicom profits up 5.7 percent Unicom Corp., ownerof Illinois' largest electric utility, said third-quarter profit rose5.7 percent on improved nuclear operations, even as it spent $20million to investigate the causes of a series of summer blackouts inChicago. Net income rose to $280 million, or about $1.28 a share,from $265 million, or $1.22, in the year-earlier period. Sales fellslightly to $2.08 billion from $2.1 billion. Jumer's Castle Lodgefiles Chapter 11 Capital upgrades and weaker than expected revenuegrowth have forced Jumer's Castle Lodge Inc. to seek Chapter 11protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, officials said. No immediatelayoffs for the company's 780 employees are expected, companyofficials said Thursday. The Peoria-based company will continueoperations under court supervision. The bankruptcy filing covers fivehotels in Peoria, Bloomington, Galesburg, Champaign-Urbana andBettendorf, Iowa. MBNA to buy SunTrust's portfolio MBNA Corp., thethird-biggest U.S. credit-card issuer, agreed to buy the $1.5 billioncard portfolio of SunTrust Banks Inc., extending a string ofacquisitions of card businesses that lack the size to compete.Atlanta-based SunTrust, the ninth largest U.S. bank, said it expectsa pretax gain of about $300 million in the fourth quarter from thesale. Corn, soybean prices drop Soybean and corn futures prices fellin trading today on the Chicago Board of Trade, despite strong exportsales. Uncertainty in the stock market and forecasts calling forweekend rains in dry areas of Brazil ahead of the planting seasoncontributed to the slump. Wheat and oats futures rose. Beef pricesfell and pork futures were mixed in trading on the Chicago MercantileExchange.