Mass. targets LPL
Massachusetts' securities regulator filed civil charges against LPL Financial for failing to supervise its brokers who sold investments in non-traded real estate investment trusts.
The company, based in San Diego with offices on Boston's State Street, received at least $1.8 million in commissions on the deals, according to Secretary of State William Galvin.
An LPL spokesman said the claims "are substantially overstated" and the company has "always endeavored to promote a strong culture of compliance."
IPO news boosts Harvard Bioscience
Shares of Harvard Bioscience surged by nearly 13 percent after the Holliston company said it would spin off, in an initial public offering, a subsidiary that's developing devices for creating synthetic organs for transplant patients.
Hicks pleads guilty in $2.3M scheme
Onetime Andover resident Andrey C. Hicks pleaded guilty to defrauding investors — reportedly including NBA player Kris Humphries — of $2.3 million in a hedge fund scheme through his Locust Offshore Management firm in Cambridge.
Hicks faces up to 20 years in prison at his March 6 sentencing.
Pfizer pays $55M over Wyeth case
Drug giant Pfizer agreed to shell out $55 million to settle allegations that its Wyeth subsidiary promoted the drug Protonix for uses that were not approved by regulators.
Pfizer, which bought Wyeth in 2009, specifically denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Fewer CEOs expect hiring dip
The Business Roundtable said that 29 percent of its member CEOs plan to increase hiring over the next six months, the same as in September when the group released its previous quarterly survey. But only 29 percent expect hiring to decrease vs. 34 percent in the previous report.
TODAY
The Commerce Department releases retail sales data for November.
