Zimmer Holdings on Monday was awarded a defense contract worth up to $69.2 million for various medical and surgical items. This renews an existing contract for a second year.

The Warsaw-based orthopedic devices manufacturer makes items including knee, hip and shoulder replacements.

Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support in Philadelphia issued the contract for items to be used by members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The contract is scheduled for completion by March 24, 2014.

Tech companies to cut 1,600 jobs

Swedish wireless equipment maker Ericsson and Switzerland’s STMicroelectronics say they will lay off up to 1,600 workers globally as part of a plan for splitting up their unprofitable joint venture.

STMicroelectronics, one of Europe’s largest chipmakers, announced in December that it wanted out of ST-Ericsson as it struggled with a downturn in global demand. After months of talks the two companies said Monday they had agreed to end the joint venture.

Ericsson said it will take on the joint venture’s “thin modem” products, designed for smartphones and tablets while STMicroelectronics will deal with other existing products and related businesses.

The two companies said they will begin to shut down the remaining parts of the joint venture, with some 700 of the job cuts in Europe, mostly in Sweden.

Builder confidence falls on supply fears

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders fell this month because of concerns that increased demand for new homes is exceeding supplies of ready-to-build land, building materials and workers.

In the short term, those constraints could slow sales. But builders’ outlook for sales over the next six months has reached its strongest point in more than six years.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday fell to 44 from 46 in February.

It was the second decline since January, which was preceded by eight straight monthly gains. A measure of current sales conditions declined from February’s reading.

Area home sales jump 4.1 percent

Northeast Indiana existing home sales rose nearly 4.1 percent in February, a report Monday from the Upstate Alliance of Realtors shows.

Upstate, which tracks data from Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells and Whitley counties, said 407 homes sold last month, up from 391 in February 2012. The average February sales price of $108,188 is a 2.8 percent decrease from $111,250 in the same month last year.

Fire risk prompts recall of Challengers

Chrysler is telling owners of about 2,500 Dodge Challenger muscle cars with V-6 engines not to drive them because a short in a wiring circuit can set them on fire.

Owners also are being told not to park the cars in a garage or near a structure until the problem can be fixed.

The cars are from the 2013 model year and have V-6 engines. They were made during the eight weeks that ended Jan. 24.