Mass. gas prices stabilize after 10 weeks of gains

Massachusetts gas prices remained unchanged at $4.06 per gallon, AAA Southern New England said. In the group's weekly survey the price of a gallon of self-serve, regular unleaded gas held steady after 10 straight weeks of increases. Massachusetts is currently 1 cent below the national average for regular unleaded of $4.07. A year ago, the average price in Massachusetts was $2.93, AAA said. (Chris Reidy)

Evergreen Solar Inc., a Marlborough maker of wafers used in solar-power panels, climbed to its highest since Jan. 29 after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. raised its target for the stock, saying that construction projects will be completed on schedule. Shares gained 41 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $12.07. Lehman Brothers said Evergreen may advance to $15, up from an earlier forecast of $12, and could reach $20 in 2009. Lehman Brothers holds 228,714 Evergreen shares. (Bloomberg)

Checkpoint Systems Inc., the maker of antitheft tags for retailers, agreed to buy closely held OATSystems Inc. to add software that helps track inventory. The all-cash deal, which should close in two weeks, will cut into profit through 2009, Thorofare, N.J.-based Checkpoint said. OATSystems, based in Waltham, develops programs for radio frequency identification systems. OATSystems' senior management, including chief executive Michael George, will run the business as a unit of Checkpoint. Other terms of the deal weren't disclosed. (Bloomberg)

GTC Biotherapeutics Inc., of Framingham, and Ovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. said they have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop and market ATryn in the United States. ATryn is GTC's recombinant form of a plasma protein with anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. The agreement includes $257 million in potential payments to GTC for meeting clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones, the companies said. GTC shares rose 12.1 percent, to 43.7 cents. (Chris Reidy)

American Science and Engineering Inc., a Billerica maker of X-ray inspection systems, said it received a $3.4 million order from the US government for Z Backscatter Vans scanning systems. The payment is part of a contract first signed in September of 2006. The latest payment completes the funding for the multiyear deal, worth a total of $46.2 million. (AP)

General Motors Corp. further reduced its North American truck production plan and added no-interest loans on many 2008 models after US sales for the first five months of the year fell 16 percent, almost twice as much as the industry's 8.4 percent rate. GM will trim output of pickups, sport-utility vehicles, and vans by an additional 170,000 this year, a spokesman said. For the rest of this month, the largest US automaker will also offer interest-free financing on loans of as long as six years. (Bloomberg)

The Department of Energy is planning to buy $3 million worth of heating oil for its Northeast reserve. The department said it will accept offers to supply the heating oil until July 1. The Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2000 to provide a short-term supplement in the event of an actual or imminent severe energy disruption, the department said. Heating oil for July delivery cost $3.795 a gallon in New York yesterday. The reserve currently holds 1.965 million barrels; Congress has authorized 2 million barrels. The National Energy Assistance Directors' Association said the average homeowner who uses heating oil will spend $2,593 this winter for heat, up from $1,962 last winter. (Bloomberg)

The New York Times Co. is developing plans to merge the website of the International Herald Tribune with that of The New York Times, in a bid to expand their global reach and deepen their appeal to advertisers. Executives at both papers said they intended to create a "cobranded international homepage" that would replace iht.com, the existing website of the International Herald Tribune. Times Co. acquired full control of the Herald Tribune in 2003 and has been accelerating the integration of the two papers in recent months. (International Herald Tribune)