Business notebook

Higher dividend: Marsh & McLennan Cos., the world's largest insurance broker and parent company of Putnam Investments, raised its quarterly dividend for the first time since an investigation of sales practices wiped out almost half its market value in 2004. The dividend was raised to 19 cents from 17 cents, payable Feb. 15 to shareholders of record on Jan. 24.

Ruling: Schering-Plough Corp.'s guilty plea for making false statements to government agencies about its brain-tumor treatment Temodar, its bladder cancer drug Intron A, and other medicines was formally accepted by federal judge Patti Saris in Boston. She ordered the company to pay a $180 million fine.

On spec: Shares of Caremark Rx Inc., the second-largest US manager of drug benefits, rose $2.15, or 3.8 percent, to $58.40, suggesting investors expect that Express Scripts Inc. and CVS Corp. may sweeten their competing buyout offers.

Settled: Cybex International Inc., a Medway maker of exercise equipment, completed litigation in separate matters and expects any increase to legal reserves will result in a fourth-quarter pretax charge of less than $200,000.

Hired: Klaus Stoehr, the veterinarian who led the World Health Organization's battle against bird flu until last year, said he will leave the international health agency to join Novartis AG.

Now they're cooking: McDonald's Corp. ended one of its strongest years with a sales acceleration, saying better-than-expected December results from its resurgent European restaurants and elsewhere will push fourth-quarter profits above Wall Street's estimates.

Testing halt: Pomegranate juice maker POM Wonderful, a target of animal rights activists because of research the company did into its juice's medical benefits, said it has stopped testing on animals.

Purchase: Burlington software maker Cognos Inc. said it purchased privately held Celequest Corp., a provider of operational business intelligence solutions. Terms were not disclosed.

Pouring in: Miller Brewing Co.'s sales rose 4.3 percent in the most recent quarter, largely on growth of the brewer's two new brands, Sparks, a caffeinated alcoholic drink, and Steel Reserve, a malt liquor.

(Globe wire services)