Also . . .

* Rite Aid Corp., the nation’s third-largest drugstore chain, said its fiscal second-quarter profit rose 34% to $81.2 million, or 31 cents a diluted share, matching analysts’ estimates, boosted by strong demand for prescription drugs. Sales rose 14% to $3.01 billion. Prescription drug sales accounted for 53.4% of total sales, up 50.3% from a year ago. Sales at sales at stores open at least a year rose 7.8%.

* OfficeMax Inc. said it ended talks about a merger because the proposed terms would not have been in the best interests of its investors and employees. The office supplies retailer had said Friday that it entered talks on an unsolicited proposal, but it didn’t identify the other party or say whether it might be bought or be making a purchase. The company said it will resume a share buyback it had halted during the talks.

* US West Inc. said it plans to charge companies that carry long-distance phone calls via the Internet the same fees that traditional long-distance companies must pay. It will become the second local phone company to do so. BellSouth said several weeks ago that it would start charging such fees, prompting analysts to say the action will be a test case for federal regulators.

* Deere & Co. is the second farm equipment maker to say it expects reduced demand to put pressure its quarterly profit. The company said it expects fourth-quarter earnings to be lower than the $211.3 million, or 84 cents a share, reported a year ago, but that earnings per share for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31 should show double-digit gains on record sales.

* Circus Circus Enterprises Inc. said its 3,700-room Mandalay Bay hotel and casino under construction in Las Vegas is settling into the ground more than expected, but correcting the problem was not expected to delay its opening set for early next year.