Edwin Shaw Rehab
cuts, reassigns staff

Akron General Edwin Shaw Rehab eliminated eight positions Thursday and closed part of its skilled nursing unit.

No services were eliminated, Akron General spokeswoman Amy Kilgore said, though eight staff positions were cut and 20 positions were reassigned to other duties.

The number of beds dedicated to skilled nursing will be reduced from 49 to 22, because of a decreasing demand for those services, she said.

The moves were announced to employees Thursday.

Edwin Shaw, which employs about 400, specializes in the rehabilitation of patients who have experienced strokes, head trauma, spinal cord injuries, multiple trauma, amputations, and orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions.

Cooper Tire says
profit will fall short

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., the second-largest U.S. tire maker, said first-quarter earnings will be ''considerably lower'' than analysts' estimates because of a drop in North American demand and rising raw-materials costs. The company fell to a 17-month low in New York trading.

The Findlay, Ohio, tire maker said in a statement that it will report ''modest'' earnings, without being specific. Profit will fall short of the 20-cents-per-share estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News, spokesman Curtis Schneekloth said.

Malaysia forecasts
rise in rubber output

Rubber production in Malaysia, the world's third-largest producer, could climb by as much as 17 percent in five years when new trees start being tapped, the country's plantation minister said.

Rubber output in 2008 might be ''flat from last year'' at 1.2 million metric tons in the absence of mass replanting in the past few years, said Peter Chin Fah Kui, Minister for Plantation Industries & Commodities.

Honda profits drop
most in 10 years

Honda Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, reported the biggest drop in profit in at least 10 years as it put aside money for a possible tax settlement and the dollar weakened against the yen.

Net income plunged 86 percent to $244 million, Honda said.

Honda took a provision to cover possible taxes as the Japanese government investigates whether the Tokyo company failed to declare income from China. The carmaker, which earns about 70 percent of operating profit in North America, forecast earnings will drop this year because of a stronger yen.
Wal-Mart shares
upgraded to 'buy'

Shares of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. were upgraded to ''buy'' from ''neutral'' at Merrill Lynch & Co., which cited the company's recent first-quarter earnings forecast and the potential that customers will spend tax rebates at its stores.

Tire maker to meet
earnings targets

Continental AG, Europe's second-largest tire maker, said it will meet full-year earnings targets based on the company's performance since the beginning of 2008.

Myers Industries
dividend at 6 cents

Myers Industries Inc. declared a regular quarterly dividend of 6 cents a share payable July 3 to shareholders of record as of June 5.

Dow closes week
with modest gain

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 42.91, or 0.33 percent, to 12,891.86 on Friday after falling more than 100 points earlier in the session. The Dow closed the week with a gain of less than 1 percent.

Broader stock indicators were mixed on the day. The S&P 500 index gained 9.02, or 0.65 percent, to 1,397.84, and rose 2.1 percent for the week.

The Nasdaq composite index, depressed by disappointment with a Microsoft Corp. forecast, fell 5.99, or 0.25 percent, to 2,422.93, after dropping as much as 1.6 percent during the session. But advancers were well ahead of decliners in the broader Nasdaq Stock Market, and for the week, the Nasdaq gained 1.4 percent.