Business and Finance
THE SEC MADE FINAL its settlement with the NASD to prevent abuses in the Nasdaq Stock Market. The settlement is a blow to Nasdaq, which has been dominated for years by a few big brokerage firms and market makers. The SEC and the NASD's new regulators may work more closely together on discipline cases.</br></br>---</br></br>A Fed survey found that economic growth has eased in recent weeks, giving Federal Reserve policy makers another reason for leaving interest rates unchanged when they meet Aug. 20.</br></br>---</br></br>Freeport-McMoRan said it plans to buy fertilizer producer Arcadian for $1.06 billion in stock. Some Arcadian shareholders said the price offered by the mineral concern is too low.