Alberto-Culver sweetened its offer to acquire hair...

Alberto-Culver sweetened its offer to acquire hair care products company LaMaur Inc. by $12 million to about $144 million, or $24 a share, and said it would consider a hostile bid if the new offer were rejected . . . The Federal Reserve said the average yield for one-year T-bills, the most popular index for making changes in adjustable rate home mortgages, rose to 6.96% last week after averaging 6.88% the week before . . . KMEX-TV in Los Angeles is one of 10 Spanish-language television stations purchased by Hallmark Cards Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., and First Chicago Venture Capital.