BMW, Deutsche Boerse, Linde, Lufthansa: German Equity Preview

By Gabi Thesing and Stefanie Haxel

Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The following companies may have unusual price changes in Germany. Stock symbols are in parentheses, and share prices are from the previous close.

DAX Index futures expiring in September dropped 61, or 0.9 percent, to 6,464 as of 8:09 a.m. in Frankfurt. The DAX rose 0.3 percent to 6,479.56.

BASF SE (BAS GY): BASF India Ltd., the Indian unit of the world's largest chemical company, said first-quarter profit jumped 84 percent to 366.5 million rupees ($8.63 million). BASF shares fell 46 cents, or 1.1 percent, to 40.69 euros.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW GY): The world's largest maker of luxury vehicles reported second-quarter earnings that trailed analyst estimated and abandoned its profit forecast for this year on falling U.S. sales, the dollar's decline and rising cost for raw materials and oil. The shares dropped 50 cents, or 1.7 percent, to 28.91 euros.

Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1 GY): Europe's biggest exchange by market value said late yesterday second-quarter profit climbed 18 percent on increased revenue from its two derivatives markets. Its shares rose 69 cents, or 1 percent, to 73.51 euros.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA GY): Europe's second-largest airline and the Ver.di labor union have restarted talks aimed at ending a strike that forced the airline to cancel hundreds of flights. Lufthansa shares declined 11 cents, or 0.7 percent, to 14.77 euros.

Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG (EBK GY): Germany's third- largest utility will release second-quarter earnings. The shares gained 20 cent, or 0.5 percent, to 44.90 euros.

Epcos AG (EPC GY): Merrill Lynch & Co. upgraded the maker of electronic components for companies including Nokia Oyj Siemens AG to ``neutral'' from ``underperform'' and UBS AG raised its recommendation to ``neutral'' from ``sell.'' The shares rallied 3.97 euros, or 29 percent to 17.85 euros.

Gerresheimer AG (GXI GY): The medical packaging company that held its initial public offering last year plans to sell a plastics unit that isn't part of its main medical business. The shares added 31 cents, or 0.9 percent, to 33.31 euros.

Linde AG (LIN GY): The world's second-biggest maker of industrial gases reported profit that beat estimates for a fifth straight quarter, boosted by orders for air separation plants in Abu Dhabi and demand for health-care gases. The shares sank 36 cents, or 0.4 percent, to 88.88 euros.

MediGene AG (MDG GY): The German developer of the Endotag cancer drug will report second quarter results. The shares rose 3 cents, or .6 percent, to 5.03 euros.

Metro AG (MEO GY): JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its share-price estimate for Germany's largest retailer 9.1 percent to 40 euros. UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking lowered its price projection 24 percent to 40 euros. The shares dropped 1.15 euros, or 3.1 percent, to 36.25 euros.

Siemens AG (SIE GY): Europe's largest engineering company agreed to sell a cordless phone unit to Arques Industries AG, completing its retreat from the telecommunications industry on which it was founded 160 years ago. Arques (AQU GY) lost 18 cents, or 2.3 percent, to 7.65 euros. Siemens shares gained 1.31 euros, or 1.7 percent, to 78.76.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gabi Thesing in Frankfurt at gthesing@bloomberg.net; Stefanie Haxel in Frankfurt at shaxel@bloomberg.net