UnitedHealth, Starbucks, Apollo among big movers

NYSE

UnitedHealth Group Inc., down 51 cents at $25.12

The health insurer will cut at least 4,000 jobs, or 5 percent of its staff, and warned that higher costs will crimp profit this year.

Circuit City Stores Inc., down 23 cents at $2.32

Blockbuster Inc. withdrew its takeover bid for the consumer electronics retailer, which still plans to review strategic alternatives.

ArvinMeritor Inc., down $1.13 at $11.21

The auto parts supplier noted soft industry conditions in North America, but global demand will lift fiscal third-quarter sales by 20 percent from a year ago.

Exxon Mobil Corp., down 94 cents at $87.41

A Bernstein Research analyst upgraded the oil company and said it's likely to outperform the broader market if oil prices continue to rise.

Journal Sentinel Inc., down 26 cents at $4.52

Poor advertising sales caused the publisher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to cut about 10 percent of its full-time employees.

NASDAQ

Starbucks Corp., up 6 cents at $15.68

About 12,000 workers, or 7 percent of the coffee retailer's staff, will be affected by the closing of 600 stores in the U.S.

Apollo Group Inc., up $8.52 at $54.78

Higher enrollment helped the for-profit education company's fiscal third-quarter results top Wall Street expectations.

Microsoft Corp., down 99 cents at $25.88

The Internet company has talked to other media companies about teaming up to buy Yahoo Inc.'s search business, according to a report.