IN BRIEF (Page 17)

MasterCard posts profit

MasterCard said it booked a profit of nearly $350 million during the second quarter, exceeding Wall Street's expectations.

The Purchase, New York-based credit card and global payments processor earned $348.9 million, or $2.67 per share, in the period ended June 30. That compares with a loss of $746.7 million, or $5.70 per share, in the same period a year earlier. Results in the year-ago period were weighed down by a $1.65 billion charge related to a litigation settlement.