BMW, Commerzbank, Daimler, Metro, Porsche: German Stock Preview

By Nadja Brandt and Aaron Kirchfeld

Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies whose shares 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 March gained 12, or 0.2 percent, to 5,005 as of 8:28 a.m. in Frankfurt. The DAX climbed 0.2 percent to 4,983.99 yesterday.

Allianz SE (ALV GY): Dresdner Bank, the lender being sold by the insurer to Commerzbank AG, may seek financial aid from the German government, Handelsblatt said. Allianz and Commerzbank may have held talks with the bank-rescue package fund, the newspaper said. Simultaneously, Commerzbank may also be looking for guarantees from Allianz for Dresdner Bank securities, the newspaper reported.

Allianz fell 22 cents, or 0.3 percent, to 76.93 euros.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW GY): The world’s largest maker of luxury cars said U.S. sales declined 36 percent last month to 21,626 cars and sport-utility vehicles. The shares dropped 49 cents, or 2.2 percent, to 21.86 euros.

Commerzbank AG (CBK GY): The bank plans to issue a state- guaranteed bond this week valued at 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) to 2 billion euros to fund its takeover of Dresdner Bank, the Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing unidentified market participants. The shares retreated 21 cents, or 3.1 percent, to 6.56 euros.

Continental AG (CON GY): The German tire and auto-parts maker might be active after the Nikkei newspaper said Japanese competitor Bridgestone Corp. may post an operating profit of about 100 billion yen ($1.07 billion) for the year through Dec. 31, down 15 percent from an estimated profit for last year. Continental gained 5 cents, or 0.2 percent, to 30.50 euros.

Daimler AG (DAI GY): The world’s second-largest maker of luxury cars said U.S. sales by its Mercedes-Benz Cars division fell 24 percent in December from a year earlier. The unit sold 20,848 cars and sport-utility vehicles last month, while full- year deliveries declined 1.5 percent to 249,750 vehicles. The shares dropped 1.10 euros, or 4 percent, to 26.65.

Deutsche Bank AG (DBK GY): The country’s biggest bank got regulatory approval for its Chinese securities joint venture, allowing it to underwrite bond and stock sales in the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The shares fell 35 cents, or 1.2 percent, to 28.80 euros.

Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1 GY): The operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange is in talks to buy a majority in Neonet AB of Sweden, Handelsblatt reported. The stock advanced 1.25 euros, or 2.3 percent, to 55.50.

Deutsche Euroshop AG (DEQ GY): The country’s biggest investor in shopping centers was downgraded to “hold” from “buy” by Equinet AG. The stock added 17 cents, or 0.7 percent, to 25.46 euros.

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE GY): Europe’s largest telephone company may name Thomas Winkler, a former finance chief at its T- Mobile wireless unit, as chief financial officer for the parent company to replace Karl-Gerhard Eick, Focus-Money reported, without saying where it got the information.

Deutsche Telekom shares climbed 37 cents, or 3.4 percent, to 11.39 euros.

Hochtief AG (HOT GY): The country’s largest construction company confirmed its 2008 forecast after its Australian unit Leighton Holdings Ltd. reported lower first-half profit on investment writedowns. The stock increased 65 cents, or 1.8 percent, to 36.25 euros.

Metro AG (MEO GY): The owner of Media Markt and Saturn consumer-electronics shops was cut to “underperform” from “buy” by Merrill Lynch & Co. The stock gained 72 cents, or 2.4 percent, to 30.18 euros.

Porsche SE (PAH3 GY): The carmaker bought additional shares in Volkswagen AG and will boost its stake in Europe’s biggest auto manufacturer to more than 50 percent, attaining indirect control over Sweden-based Scania AB. Porsche dropped 3.78 euros, or 6.6 percent, to 53.88.

Premiere AG (PRE GY): The country’s biggest pay-television company had its share-price estimate raised 37 percent to 8.2 euros by JPMorgan Chase & Co. The stock fell 14 cents, or 3.6 percent, to 3.80 euros.

SMA Solar Technology AG (S92 GY): The producer of alternating-current converters was downgraded to “neutral” from “buy” at Merrill Lynch & Co. The stock rallied 1.12 euros, or 2.8 percent, to 40.52.

Volkswagen AG (VOW GY): Europe’s biggest automaker gained U.S. market share in December as small cars such as the Jetta and Golf helped limit its sales decline. The stock slipped 4.36 euros, or 1.7 percent, to 254.74.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nadja Brandt in Los Angeles at nbrandt@bloomberg.net; Aaron Kirchfeld in Frankfurt at akirchfeld@bloomberg.net