Briefs: iphone fever fades; Mcmuffin madness mounts

●●o Apple said it expects its first quarterly sales decline in 13 years this winter as iphone demand flattens. Orders for iphones, which account for 2 out of 3 revenue dollars at Apple, climbed just 0.4 percent in the quarter ended on Dec. 26, vs. a year earlier. The tech giant said demand was hurt by the relatively strong dollar and economic softness in China. It’s considering price increases in certain markets. ●●5 The Mcmuffins are working. Mcdonald’s posted its best quarterly growth in almost four years, after persuading its franchisees to serve breakfast items all day. Sales at restaurants open more than a year rose 5 percent in the quarter. ●●Q American International Group said it would return $25 billion to shareholders over the next two years under an ambitious plan to divest assets and boost returns. The company plans to sell one-fifth of its mortgage insurer United Guaranty. Activist investor Carl Icahn said AIG should split up, a move he’s lobbied for since October. ●●¡ The Supreme Court upheld a federal rule requiring utilities to pay big energy customers that reduce electricity use during peak power demand. The ruling was a win for environmentalists, businesses, schools, and factories. Shares of large utilities slipped on news of the decision. ●●q Ride-hailing service Lyft agreed to pay $12.3 million to settle a proposed class-action suit brought by its drivers. Lyft also agreed to notify drivers if they are to be idled, though it won’t be required to classify them as employees. Similar actions filed against Lyft rival Uber have been granted class-action status.