Business news in brief

Philadelphia Gas Works decreased residential natural gas rates by a penny, from $1.52 per hundred cubic feet to $1.51. The new rate will stay in effect until March 1. Utilities are allowed to adjust their rates quarterly to reflect changes in the commodity costs. The costs are passed through to customers without markup. - Andrew Maykuth

The New Jersey Office of Weights and Measures found that 14 of 325 gas stations throughout New Jersey were selling fuel with lower octane levels than advertised on the pumps, state officials said. The tests, conducted by a joint task force of inspectors from the state and from 13 county offices of weights and measures, found four stations in Camden County and four stations in Gloucester County in violation. The stations face fines, under two laws, of up to $1,500, and up to $5,000 for subsequent violations. - Harold Brubaker

Independence Blue Cross, the region's largest health insurer, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan made final their partnership to sell health insurance to the poor nationally through Medicaid, a government-funded program. The two companies will market the insurance through AmeriHealth Mercy. AmeriHealth had been equally owned by Independence Blue Cross and a subsidiary of the Mercy Health System, the Conshohocken-based hospital chain. Under the new arrangement, Mercy is out, having been paid at least $136 million by Michigan, the new minority partner, which will invest an additional $79 million in AmeriHealth growth initiatives. Independence Blue Cross paid Mercy at least $34 million to gain its 60 percent share. - Jane M. Von Bergen

The generic-drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. lost an appeals court bid to revive a patent it claimed AstraZeneca P.L.C.'s cholesterol drug Crestor was infringing. Teva's patent is invalid because AstraZeneca came up first with the formulation of rosuvastatin calcium, the active ingredient in Crestor, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington said. Crestor is London-based AstraZeneca's top-selling drug, with $4.85 billion in the first nine months of the year. AstraZeneca has operations in Wilmington. The Americas headquarters for Israel-based Teva is in North Wales, Montgomery County. - Bloomberg News

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services boosted its credit rating of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania to "A/A-1" from "A-/A-2." The upgrade also applied to RBS Citizens N.A., which has branches in New England and the Midwest. Both banks are owned by Citizens Financial Group, of Providence, R.I., which is a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group P.L.C. S&P cited Citizens' improved profitability this year and the stabilization of Citizens' loan book, which includes $24 billion worth of home-equity loans from areas where it has branches. In June, Citizens ranked third in Philadelphia-area deposits, with $15.5 billion at 173 branches. - Harold Brubaker

The federal government is expected by the end of this month to turn over $276 million awarded to shareholders in the defunct Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, said Thomas Buchanan, lead attorney in a lawsuit that was filed in 1993. The government had argued that all of the money should be held back until a potential appeal by one shareholder was settled, Buchanan said. Instead, $8.6 million will be held in reserve, with the rest available to cover expenses and pay shareholders starting early next year, said Buchanan, who participated Thursday in a conference call with the judge to discuss the final order in the case. - Harold Brubaker

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will suspend, from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2, evictions involving foreclosed occupied single-family and two- to four-unit properties that had their mortgages. The suspensions will apply only to eviction lockouts related to Freddie- and Fannie-owned properties. During this period, legal and administrative proceedings for evictions may continue, but families living in foreclosed properties will be permitted to remain in their home. - Alan J. Heavens

Chrysler, Ford, Nissan, and Hyundai were among the companies reporting double-digit gains in vehicle sales from last November, which is normally a lackluster month. This November, buyers were lured by good deals, improving confidence in the economy, and the need to trade in older cars. Industry sales rose 14 percent to 994,721, according to Autodata Corp. It was also the fastest sales pace since August 2009, when the government offered big rebates for drivers to trade in their gas-guzzling clunkers. U.S. sales would hit 13.6 million this year if they stayed at the same pace they did in November. - AP

Retailers from Macy's to Costco reported monthly revenue at stores open at least a year - an indicator of a merchant's health - that beat Wall Street estimates. The overall tally for the 21 retailers that reported revenue for November rose 3.2 percent, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. November results offer an important benchmark for retailers and economists. The monthly numbers were boosted by the four-day weekend starting Thanksgiving Day, the traditional kickoff of the shopping season. Americans spent $52.4 billion over the weekend, the highest total ever recorded during that time, according to the National Retail Federation. - AP

JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Wells Fargo & Co., and Ally Financial Inc. were sued by Massachusetts for allegedly conducting unlawful foreclosures and deceiving homeowners. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley accused the banks of engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices. State attorneys general across the country have been negotiating a possible settlement with the five banks to resolve a probe into foreclosure practices following disclosures that faulty documents were being used to seize homes. - Bloomberg News