COMMODITIES

2 Firms Ordered to Return $900,000: A federal judge ordered two California futures companies to return the money to investors for allegedly violating commodities laws. U.S. District Judge A. Andrew Hauk entered the consent order accepted by Worth Financial Data Inc. of San Francisco and Lida International Financial Data Inc. of San Gabriel, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said. The action stemmed from a three-count complaint filed by the CFTC and the state Department of Corporations in February 1994. Neither of the companies has ever been registered with the CFTC, the agency said. A third firm, Topworth International Ltd. of Hong Kong, also was charged in the 1994 complaint. From May 1991 to March 1994, the agency said, all three companies allegedly violated commodity laws by offering and selling to the public illegal off-exchange futures contracts for gold and foreign currencies. The CFTC said the order requires Lida to return $800,000 to investors and Worth Financial $100,000.