A roundup of business developments spotted...

A roundup of business developments spotted by other publications. Fewer Holdouts: Cable companies will be marketing their services more aggressively toward households in areas that have already been wired. Last year, holdout subscribers accounted for 70% of those signing up, outnumbering subscribers on new systems for the first time. Reeling in holdouts is lucrative because the hardware investment has already been made. Cable industry insiders attribute the increase in previously stubborn households to better programming and advertising. Multichannel News

Law of the North: Since Canada pulled its anti-monopoly plan together with the 1986 Competition Act, Monsanto may be the first company to test the law’s toughness. The St. Louis-based company that makes and sells NutraSweet has been hauled before the Canadian courts on charges that it unfairly kept competitors out of the market after its Canadian patent expired in 1987. Under scrutiny are parts of Monsanto contracts that restrict clients to using only NutraSweet in their products. Canadian and foreign firms are waiting for the Competition Tribunal’s decision to see whether the new law has teeth. Toronto Globe and Mail

On Target: One company that has prepared for cuts in defense spending is Raytheon. Back in the 1960s, the Massachusetts-based company was criticized by analysts for getting away from its basic business, but with Pentagon cuts looming, the company’s tack seems to have been a stroke of genius. Last year, 39% of Raytheon’s sales came from non-defense businesses, which include a civilian aircraft division, a publishing house and a home appliance unit. The pretax profit of its biggest non-defense business, Beech Aircraft, soared 57% from 1987 to 1988, and the boom in commuter airlines should perpetuate that trend. Although some of its programs, including the Navy’s Phoenix missile, may come under the ax, Raytheon is in a good position to survive. Boston Globe

Stalking Europe: Chicago-based Sara Lee Corp., which dominates the U.S. hosiery market through its Sara Lee Hosiery and L’eggs Products subsidiaries, is poised to enter the European market through well-planned investments and buyouts. Last year, the company completed its acquisition of Dim S.A. of France and appears to be in a good position to manipulate the fragmented market, which has experienced substantial sales gains during the 1980s. Financial Times