Also. . .

* Ohio Casualty Group Inc. agreed to pay up to $355 million for portions of American Financial Group Inc., a Cincinnati-based insurer, adding to its commercial property and casualty insurance business. Ohio Casualty said it will pay $300 million in cash and as much as $40 million more based on performance.

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* Abbott Laboratories Inc. named Miles White chief executive, ending a nine-month horse race for the top job at the maker of Similac infant formula and other products. White, a 43-year-old executive vice president, will succeed longtime CEO Duane Burnham on Jan. 1. Burnham will stay on as chairman until his planned retirement in April, when White will assume that post.

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* Best Buy Co. said fiscal second-quarter earnings rose more than sixfold to $44.1 million, or 42 cents a diluted share, from $6.6 million, or 7 cents, a year ago, beating estimates of 40 cents. The nation’s largest electronics retailer said revenue jumped 22% to $2.18 billion and that sales at stores open at least a year climbed 18%. Lowered operating costs also boosted results.

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* Marriott International Inc. named Arne Sorenson chief financial officer of the hotel company effective Oct. 1., succeeding Michael A. Stein, who resigned to join retailer Nordstrom Inc. Sorenson, 39, senior vice president of business development, joined Marriott in 1996 and has played a leadership role in the company’s global expansion over the last two years, Marriott said.

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* Kellogg Co.’s head of European operations, Donald Fritz, has resigned and will be replaced by Jean-Louis Gourbin, chief of the cereal maker’s Asia-Pacific operations. Fritz, 50, didn’t detail his plans. Kellogg’s non-U.S. operations are seen as the company’s best chance to restore overall sales growth, analysts have said.