OTHER NEWS - Oct. 2, 1996

Loewen Group Says FTC Seeks Data on Service Corp. Bid: On the eve of the giant funeral services company’s foray into public trading, the Federal Trade Commission has contacted the company as part of an examination of potential antitrust questions about a takeover offer by Service Corp. International. Houston-based Service Corp. has made an unsolicited $4.1-billion takeover bid for British Columbia-based Loewen Group. Loewen Group said the FTC asked for data on all of its funeral homes and cemeteries and sought “detailed information about regional market overlap” between its facilities and those owned by Service Corp. Loewen also said it will fight a class-action shareholder suit challenging the decision to reject Service Corp.’s offer. The company’s stock began trading today on the New York Stock Exchange.