Company/EPS Estimate
- (CAT)/1.50
- (FO)/1.43
- (HOG)/.82
- (HON).91
- (WFT)/.96
- (GWW)/1.27
AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU) fell $3.86, or 8.5 percent, to $41.31 in trading before the open of U.S. exchanges. Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) dropped $1.80, or 11 percent, to $14.70. The South African mining companies were forced to halt production because of a power shortage.
Mining rivals advanced. Rio Tinto PLC (RTP) rose $20.38, or 5.7 percent, to $374.39. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BBL) climbed 51 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $27.98 in trading in Germany.
Ambac Financial Group Inc. (ABK) rose $1.15, or 10 percent, to $12.48 in trading before the open of U.S. exchanges. Wilbur Ross, who became a billionaire by buying distressed steel and textile businesses, is in talks to buy the second biggest bond insurer, the Evening Standard reported, citing people it didn't name. A message left for Ross wasn't returned, nor was a call to Peter Poillon, a spokesman for Ambac.
MEMC Electronic Material Inc. (WFR) gained $4.35, or 6 percent, to $75.87 in trading in Germany. The world's third- largest maker of silicon wafers said that, excluding some items, it expects to earn at least $4.50 a share this year. Analysts, on average, estimated $4.22, according to a Bloomberg survey.
-MM
