Today's other business news in brief.

Four US banks to sell $6bn in stock

Four big US banks have announced plans to sell more than $6 billion (€4.4 billion) of common stock in an effort to raise capital and repay funds received under the US government’s bank bailout programme. US Bancorp plans to sell $2.5 billion of stock and $1 billion of debt. Capital One Financial Corp sold $1.55 billion of stock, BBT is selling $1.5 billion and KeyCorp $750 million. The plans were announced three days after Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley sold $12.6 billion of stock. Morgan Stanley also sold $4 billion of debt.

The banks were among 19 lenders to undergo “stress tests” of their ability to weather a deep downturn. – (Bloomberg)

Fyffes buys Panama pineapple plantation

Fruit importer Fyffes has bought a pineapple plantation of 450 hectares in Panama for about €5.8 million.

The company said in a statement it had purchased the plantation from Agroindustries Golden West and said it aimed to produce approximately half of the pineapples it markets by the end of next year. It also has pineapple farms in Costa Rica.

Petrel raises £1.8m in share placing

Irish oil and gas explorer Petrel Resources has raised £1.8 million (€2 million) through a share placing to develop its interests in Iraq. The funds were raised by a placing of more than four million shares with three institutional shareholders at a price of 45p.

W&R Barnett sells software division

Belfast-based WR Barnett, one of the North’s largest privately held companies, has sold ICS Computing, its software and services division, to Equiniti, a British share registration group. No details of the sale have been disclosed.

Centrica enters nuclear power sector

British Gas owner Centrica has entered the nuclear power sector with a £2.3 billion (€2.6 billion) deal for a 20 per cent stake in generation firm British Energy.

Centrica is buying the interest from France’s EDF. – (PA)