CVS, Deere, Longs Drug Stores, Nvidia: U.S. Equity Preview

By Katherine Greene

Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The following companies may have unusual price changes in U.S. markets. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names, and prices are as of 7:47 a.m. in New York, unless stated otherwise.

Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT US): The largest maker of chip- production machinery forecast orders that topped some analysts' estimates, signaling that a slump spurred by memory-chip companies may be nearing an end. The shares climbed 1.2 percent to $18.70 in extended trading yesterday.

Cree Inc. (CREE US): The maker of semiconductors that illuminate mobile phones and street lamps reported fourth-quarter profit of 16 cents a share, excluding some items, topping the 14- cent average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The shares jumped 9.5 percent in $21 in extended trading yesterday.

Deere & Co. (DE US) slid 7.7 percent to $63.98. The world's largest maker of farm equipment reported third-quarter earnings that missed analysts' estimates on higher raw material costs and projected fourth-quarter profit below forecasts.

Longs Drug Stores Corp. (LDG US) surged 30 percent to $70.05. CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS US) said it would buy the owner of the namesake drugstore chain on the U.S. West Coast for $2.7 billion to expand its reach to the western U.S.

CVS fell 5.3 percent to $36.03.

Nvidia Corp. (NVDA US) rose 5.7 percent to $11.70. The second-largest maker of computer-graphics chips said it boosted a share buyback program by $1 billion.

To contact the reporter on this story: Katherine Greene in New York at kgreene8@bloomberg.net.