AIG, Ambac, AMD, Google, IBM, Temper-Pedic: U.S. Equity Preview

By Whitney Kisling

Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- The following companies may have unusual price changes in U.S. trading tomorrow. Stock symbols are in parentheses, and share prices are as of 5:50 p.m. in New York, unless otherwise specified.

Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures expiring in December added 0.3 percent to 943.4. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed 19 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,985. Nasdaq-100 Index futures lost 0.1 percent to 1,321.5.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD US) gained 12 percent to $4.60. The second-largest maker of personal-computer processors posted a narrower loss in the third quarter. Sales, excluding a $191 million technology license payment, rose 1.7 percent to $1.59 billion.

Ambac Financial Group Inc. (ABK US) gained 4.1 percent to $2.77. The bond insurer is working with other companies on a plan to send to the U.S. Treasury that would enable them to sell troubled assets to the government. The companies also may present a proposal next week that would allow the insurers to guarantee some assets with government backing.

American International Group Inc. (AIG US) gained 2.1 percent to $2.48. The insurer that turned over control to the U.S. in exchange for an $85 billion loan last month promoted David Herzog to chief financial officer, ending a five-month search. Herzog, 48, was AIG's comptroller for three years.

Google Inc. (GOOG US) rose 9.4 percent to $386.31. The owner of the most popular Internet search engine reported third- quarter profit, excluding some items, that beat the average analyst estimate from a Bloomberg survey. More customers used Web search ads to spur sales.

Informatica Corp. (INFA US): The provider of data organization software to Hewlett-Packard Co. and Nike Inc. issued a new sales target after reporting third-quarter profit dropped 7.4 percent. The company now expects sales of $455 million to $465 million, from a previous forecast of $456 million to $461 million. The shares gained 8 percent to $12.65 in regular trading.

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM US) gained 2.1 percent to $93.47. The biggest computer-services provider said new service contracts totaled $12.7 billion last quarter, helped by deals with Royal Dutch Navy and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Contract signings, which indicate future revenue, dropped 4 percent from last year.

Temper-Pedic International Inc. (TPX US) fell 12 percent to $6.80. The maker of foam mattresses and pillows said 2008 earnings would be lower than forecast and suspended its dividend after reporting third-quarter profit of 32 cents a share. The company cited ``extraordinary macroeconomic events.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Whitney Kisling in New York at wkisling@bloomberg.net