Business

Business briefs

Mo-Joe slows

Starbucks reported fiscal second-quarter profit that just met analysts’ estimates as US customer traffic improved while sales stagnated in Europe. Shares closed down 50 cents, to $60.

’Nuts’ to split

Kenneth Langone, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot, said it was “nuts” to consider splitting Jamie Dimon’s dual role as JPMorgan Chase’s chairman and chief executive officer.

Kotick’s ticket

Robert Kotick, CEO of game company Activision, received total compensation of $64.9 million last year, including $55.9 million in stock awards, based on regulatory reporting rules.

’Flix pay snip

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings received $5.54 million in pay last year based on Securities and Exchange Commission rules, down 40 percent from 2011, according to a filing.

Spending up

The Commerce Dept. report on GDP showed that consumers stepped up spending at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the January-March quarter — the biggest such jump since the end of 2010.