Avery International declared a 2-for-1 stock split...

Avery International declared a 2-for-1 stock split payable March 16 to shareholders of record March 9. The Pasadena-based firm also increased the quarterly cash dividend by 2 cents to 21 cents on pre-split shares and 10.5 cents on post-split shares, payable March 16 to shareholders of record March 9 . . . Mervyn’s, a unit of Dayton Hudson, agreed to buy three Denver Dry Goods locations in Colorado from May Department Stores . . . Holiday Corp. stockholders overwhelmingly approved a $2.4-billion recapitalization plan expected to help protect the Memphis, Tenn.-based hotel and casino concern from hostile takeover attempts . . . The American Institute for Imported Steel reported that steel imports rose nearly 10.2%in January to nearly 1.7 million tons from little more than 1.5 million tons in December.