National Business

MONTREAL — Transcontinental Inc. capped off its financial year by posting a 23.6 per cent drop in fourth-quarter profits even though higher resin costs passed on to customers and an extra week of business helped raise revenues.

OLD TOWN, Maine (AP) — A Maine paper mill is asking local residents for cardboard to turn into packaging because of the rising cost of the raw materials it typically uses.

TORONTO — A technology company says it will temporarily take its food delivery robots off Toronto's streets as the city considers whether to ban such devices from sidewalks.

OTTAWA — As the annual pace of inflation rises, investors who depend on their portfolios to provide income may want to consider dividend paying stocks as one way to help them keep up with the rising cost of living, experts say.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in 52 years, more evidence that the U.S. job market is recovering from last year's coronavirus recession.

TORONTO — Kinross Gold Corp. has signed an agreement to buy Great Bear Resources Ltd. and its Dixie project in northern Ontario in a deal valued at $1.8 billion in cash and shares.

CALGARY — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said Wednesday his government sees potential merit in a proposed $1.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Fallen entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes has finished her attempt to persuade a jury that she suffered lapses in business judgment but never engaged in fraud while running blood-testing startup Theranos.

MONTREAL — Nuvei Corp. has accused short-seller Spruce Point Capital Management of being "intentionally misleading" by issuing a critical report that caused its shares to plunge 40 per cent on Wednesday.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Wednesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (21,077.35, down 85.30 points.) B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO). Materials. Up 11 cents, or 2.3 per cent, to $4.90 on 9.3 million shares.