Also . . .

Norwest Corp.’s Los Angeles-based finance unit, Foothill Group Inc., agreed to buy New York-based Century Business Credit Corp., a commercial lender that buys accounts receivable from companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Privately held Century offers factoring, among other financing services, to U.S. companies that import products they sell to retailers.

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Gap Inc. said it plans to split its stock 3-for-2 and buy back as many as 30 million shares after its stock soared 56% during the last year on strong earnings gains. The split, in the form of a half-share dividend for each share, will be distributed Nov. 30 to holders as of Nov. 11. Gap last split its stock, also on a 3-for-2 basis, in December. The San Francisco-based retailer had about 386.3 million shares outstanding at the end of August and will have about 570 million shares after the split.