Apollo, Centex, Tessera, Wisconsin Energy: U.S. Equity Preview

By Lu Wang

Oct. 28 (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 5:40 p.m. in New York, unless otherwise specified.

Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures expiring in December slid 3.40, or 0.4 percent, to 935.30. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 1,078, or 13 percent, to 9,089. Nasdaq-100 Index futures lost 8.50, or 0.7 percent, to 1,299.50.

Apollo Group Inc. (APOL US) rose $2.38, or 4 percent, to $61.25. The owner of the for-profit University of Phoenix said that fiscal fourth-quarter profit was 75 cents a share, excluding some items. That beat the average analyst estimate by 11 percent, according to a Bloomberg survey.

Centex Corp. (CTX US): The fourth-largest U.S. homebuilder reported its sixth consecutive quarterly loss as rising foreclosures and stricter lending standards reduced demand for new homes. The stock rose 7.6 percent to $9.26 in regular trading.

RF Micro Devices Inc. (RFMD US) gained 20 cents, or 11 percent, to $2.10. The maker of chips for Nokia Oyj mobile phones said profit excluding some items was 7 cents a share. That topped the 5-cent average estimate of analysts in a Bloomberg survey.

Tessera Technologies Inc. (TSRA US) jumped $3.29, or 25 percent, to $16.20. The designer of packaging for computer chips said it won an arbitration decision in a contract dispute over patent royalties with Amkor Technology Inc. (AMKR US)

United Rentals Inc. (URI US): The largest U.S. construction- equipment rental company said 2008 profit will be lower than it previously projected because of ``softness'' in its markets. The stock rose 9.6 percent to $8.21 in regular trading.

Wisconsin Energy Corp. (WEC US) gained $1.75, or 4.2 percent, to $43.32. The state's largest utility owner will replace MGIC Investment Corp. (MTG US) in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, S&P said in a statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lu Wang in New York at lwang8@bloomberg.net