Also. . .

* United HealthCare Corp., the second-largest U.S. health insurer, said profit in the third quarter rose 16% to $135 million, or 66 cents a share, as it added customers and charged higher premiums. Revenue rose 47% to $4.36 billion.

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* Consolidated Cigar Holdings Inc., the premium cigar maker controlled by billionaire investor Ron Perelman, retained Chase Securities to advise it on alternatives that include a merger or sale of the company. The maker of Don Diego and Montecristo cigars posted a 51% drop in third-quarter income to $8.3 million, or 28 cents a diluted share.

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* BankAmerica Corp. said it’s cutting 140 to 150 brokers in its exchange-traded futures business in Chicago, London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, and said trades will be conducted electronically. The nation’s largest bank said it will keep a futures clearing staff of only 50.

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* Costco Cos. said it will change how it accounts for membership fees to its warehouse club stores and as a result will take a $118-million charge in the fiscal first quarter.

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* The pilots union of FDX Corp.’s Federal Express asked its 3,500 members for authority to call the first strike in the cargo airline’s history.