Boss, Continental, K+S, Metro, Q-Cells: German Equity Preview

By Patrick Donahue and Stefanie Haxel

Jan. 20 (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 added 7.5, or 0.2 percent, to 4,329.5 as of 8:12 a.m. in Frankfurt. The DAX fell 1.2 percent to 4,316.14.

Axel Springer AG (SPR GY): Europe’s largest newspaper publisher, along with Respekt Media AS, Platforma Mediowa Point Group SA, and Zjednoczone Przedsiebiorstwo Rozrywkowe SA, were picked for further negotiations on the purchase of Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. Springer shares increased 1.86 euros, or 3.6 percent, to 53.86.

Continental AG (CON GY): A hedge fund led by Frank Scheuner wants to oust Chairman Hubertus von Gruenberg, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing the investor.

Separately, shareholder Schaeffler Group wants to remove 10 members of the car-component maker’s supervisory board to extend its control, Die Welt reported. The shares fell 1.50 euros, or 8.2 percent, to 16.81 euros.

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE GY): The Scout24 unit of Europe’s largest phone company put plans to expand abroad “almost” on hold to focus on new services in its home market, the Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing the unit’s head Martin Enderle. The shares added 24.5 cents, or 2.5 percent, to 10.235 euros.

Hugo Boss AG (BOS3 GY): Germany’s largest clothing maker plans to dismiss as many as 150 of the company’s more than 2,800 employees in Germany, the Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing an unidentified company spokesman. The shares dropped 32 cents, or 3 percent, to 10.28 euros.

K+S AG (SDF GY): JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its recommendation on Europe’s largest producer of potash used in fertilizers to “neutral” from “overweight.” The shares lost 2 euros, or 5.1 percent, to 36.95.

Lanxess AG (LXS GY): The chemicals maker will introduce shortened hours for employees and may shed jobs if the economic climate worsens, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing Chief Executive Officer Axel Heitmann. The shares retreated 36 cents, or 2.9 percent, to 12.25 euros.

Metro AG (MEO GY): Germany’s largest retailer plans to cut costs and increase profit by 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) from now until 2012 as the company focuses on its most-profitable businesses and “simplifies” its structure. The shares sank 77 cents, or 3.1 percent, to 24.39 euros.

Q-Cells SE (QCE GY): Germany’s largest solar company had its recommendation cut to “conviction sell” from “buy” at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The shares dropped 86 cents, or 4 percent, to 20.54 euros.

Repower Systems AG (RPW GY): Goldman Sachs increased its recommendation for the wind turbine builder to “buy” from “neutral.” Repower shares declined 3.98 euros, or 3.8 percent, to 100.99.

Solarworld AG (SWV GY): Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised the country’s third-largest solar company to “conviction buy” from “neutral.” The shares advanced 20 cents, or 1.5 percent, to 13.94 euros.

TA Triumph-Adler AG (TWN GY): The copy-machine distributor said Kyocera Mita Corp. holds 88.69 percent of voting rights in the company as the result of its takeover offer, subject to antitrust approvals. The shares fell 2 cents, or 1.1 percent, to 1.88 euros.

Volkswagen AG (VOW GY): The works council of Europe’s largest carmaker has lost a bid to have more representatives than Porsche SE employees on the Porsche supervisory board following the takeover of Volkswagen, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing unidentified people at the companies. Volkswagen shares lost 3.22 euros, or 1.3 percent, to 240. Porsche (PAH3 GY), the maker of the 911 sports car, fell 56 cents, or 1.2 percent, to 46.19 euros.

To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Donahue in Berlin at at pdonahue1@bloomberg.net; Stefanie Haxel in Frankfurt at shaxel@bloomberg.net