Business news in brief

The 11 Atlantic City casinos yesterday reported a 19.8 percent decrease in gross operating profit in the second quarter. The figures from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission showed the 11 properties totaled $198.4 million for the quarter, compared with $247.3 million for the same three-month period in 2008. Gross operating profit represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and other charges. Net revenue in the second quarter fell 15.2 percent to $975.7 million. The Borgata was the only one among the Atlantic City casinos to report an increase, of 7.8 percent, in gross operating profit over a year earlier. - Suzette Parmley

A federal judge in New Jersey ruled in favor of drugmaker Merck & Co. Inc. in a patent fight with a company wanting to make a generic version of Merck's top-selling drug. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has been seeking approval from federal regulators to sell three doses of Singulair. The pill treats asthma and hay fever. Judge Garrett E. Brown upheld Merck's patent and issued an injunction that prevents Teva from selling generic versions until the patent expires in August 2012. Singulair has been on the market since 1998. It brought Merck, Whitehouse Station, N.J., sales of $4.3 billion last year, and slightly higher sales are expected this year. Merck employs about 12,000 people in Montgomery County, where Teva has its U.S. headquarters. - AP

New Jersey added 5,900 jobs in July, the first time since January 2008 the state has recorded an employment gain, according to the state Labor Department. The state's unemployment rate rose to 9.3 percent from 9.2 percent in June, the department said. Nationally, the jobless rate dropped in July to 9.4 percent. Private-sector jobs in New Jersey increased 13,000 in July, while cutbacks in local school districts led to a decline of 7,100 public-sector jobs, according to Labor Commissioner David Socolow. - Bloomberg News

EnerSys Inc. shares fell yesterday after word that a Morgan Stanley affiliate and other investors would sell 3.2 million shares of the Reading maker of industrial batteries. Shares closed down $1.88, or 8.58 percent, at $20.03. Metalmark Capital L.L.C., the largest EnerSys shareholder, and several other institutional investors will sell the shares to the Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the company said. As of Aug. 10, Metalmark owned an 11.8 percent stake in the company. EnerSys had 48.5 million shares outstanding as of June 28. EnerSys did not disclose the timing of the stock sale, but it did say it would not receive any money from the transaction. - AP

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is assuring car dealers that they will be reimbursed for the popular "Cash for Clunkers" program. LaHood told reporters yesterday that he understood that some dealers were frustrated about delays in getting paid for the $3 billion car-rebate program. But, he promised, "they're going to get their money." LaHood said the Obama administration planned to provide more details this week on how much longer the car-incentive program would last. Some dealers have said their reimbursement requests have not been approved, leading to a cash crunch. Through Tuesday, auto dealers have made deals worth $1.72 billion. Dealer anxiety has abounded in the Philadelphia area, too, though no showroom owners had yet decided to withdraw from the federal program, said Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia. - AP

The first phase of the landmark credit card legislation signed by President Obama in May will take effect today, forcing card issuers to give consumers more time to pay their bills and to consider increases in interest rates. Starting today, issuers must give customers 45 days' notice before raising their interest rates, instead of 15 days as previously required. Customers can then choose to pay what they owe at the original rate over time but will not be able to use the card for future purchases. The issuer reserves the right to increase the minimum payment, as a percentage of the total balance, to no more than double the percentage it had been. Card issuers will also have to mail bills 21 days - instead of 14 days - before the due date. - Washington Post

Government officials are calling on U.S. businesses to help manage swine flu this fall by getting vaccines to vulnerable workers and encouraging employees with symptoms to stay home. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said employers should develop plans for managing both seasonal and swine flu. Businesses should encourage employees who are at risk for swine flu to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available. First in line are pregnant women, health-care workers, and younger adults with conditions such as asthma. - AP

The Greyhound bus, an icon of long-distance travel in the United States, is going to Britain. FirstGroup P.L.C., the British company that owns Greyhound lines, said it would start running budget Greyhound services in Britain next month. The new service will compete with National Express coaches and Stagecoach Group P.L.C.-owned Megabus in the low-cost market. - AP

General Motors Co. said it canceled plans for a new Buick sport-utility vehicle announced Aug. 6 after potential customers said the model lacked the "premium characteristics" they expected from the brand. The decision was made Friday, after GM earlier in the week showed the SUV and other future vehicles to consumers, dealers, employees, analysts, and news reporters, vice chairman Tom Stephens said in a company blog. The plans for the SUV called for a plug-in hybrid version, which also was canceled, he wrote. The speed of the cancellation shows that GM since emerging from bankruptcy last month "is listening and moving quickly," Stephens wrote. - Bloomberg News

The average seven-day yield on taxable money market funds was 0.07 percent this week, unchanged from last week, according to iMoneyNet Inc. The average yield on tax-free funds was 0.10 percent this week, down from 0.11 percent last week. - Rhonda Dickey