Also. . .

* Unicom Corp. and Peco Energy Co. reportedly are in talks to merge to form an $11.8-billion company controlling as much as 20% of the country’s nuclear generating capacity. Chicago-based Unicom’s board members were to meet Sunday to discuss a “merger of equals” with Peco, Crain’s Chicago Business reported in Sunday’s issue, citing unnamed sources. The new firm would have 5.3 million customers. Unicom and Philadelphia-based Peco operate nuclear reactors and charge some of the country’s highest electric rates. It was not known if Unicom’s board would vote on a deal Sunday, but Crain’s cited sources who said any agreement would be announced within 10 days.

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* The market for initial public stock offerings picks up this week, with a sale by NetZero Inc., a Westlake Village-based company that provides free Internet access and makes software for companies doing business online. NetZero expects to sell 10 million shares at $9 to $11 each, which would raise about $100 million.

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* Talks were expected to continue today on Ford Motor Co.’s offer to the Canadian Auto Workers union over the weekend that reduces the chance of a strike by 50%, union President Buzz Hargrove said. The CAW boss said Sunday that the offer, which he declined to detail, rekindled negotiations between the company and the union--less than two days before the Tuesday strike deadline.

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* Philip Morris Cos. reportedly is considering the sale of its Jacobs Suchard subsidiary, which could fetch as much as $10 billion, the Sunday Telegraph in London reported. The company called the report “speculation.”

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* EarthLink Network founder Sky Dayton and Casey Crane of Ken Crane’s Home Entertainment will be among the entrepreneurs speaking at the Los Angeles Times’ second Small Business Strategies Conference, to be held Friday and Saturday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more information or to register, call (800) 350-3211 or log on to https://video.nohib.com./sbsc.