Times Business Section to Trim Stock Tables, Expand Coverage

Next week The Times’ Business section will consolidate its listings of stocks and mutual funds and introduce a series of features to improve coverage of Southern California’s diverse economy.

The daily tables of stock and mutual fund prices will be condensed to one page starting March 14. The page will include a listing of each day’s 1,300 most heavily traded stocks and an expanded list of publicly traded companies based in Southern California.

The change recognizes that most investors monitor daily stock prices via the Internet. It also will reduce newsprint costs.

The weekly stock and mutual fund tables that appear Sundays will not change. Complete daily listings will remain available at latimes.com/business.

The consolidation of the listings also will free up space for expanded coverage of the region’s economy, including new features and packages of stories.

On Wednesdays, the section will emphasize small business, the backbone of Southern California’s economy. The package will be anchored by a column from small-business expert Cyndia Zwahlen and a question-and-answer feature by Karen E. Klein, a nationally known columnist.

On Saturdays, the section will provide expanded coverage of international business, with a focus on Southern California’s place at the center of global trade. The package will include a new column on business travel by former corporate globe-trotter James Gilden.

The Sunday Business section will add regular reviews of books on business, finance and management. The Technopolis column by David Colker will move to Thursdays.

Readers with questions or comments about the changes may contact the Times readers’ representative at (213) 237-3485 or readers.rep@latimes.com.