A director of Web services provider Akamai Technologies Inc. exercised options for and sold 33,500 shares of common stock under a prearranged trading plan, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Wednesday.

Iomega Corp., a maker of data storage devices best known for the Zip drive, said Friday that its first-quarter profit rose, helped by climbing consumer products revenue.

A director of Internet security company McAfee Inc. exercised options for 45,000 shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday.

Shares of RealNetworks Inc. rose Friday as a variety of analysts reacted positively to the company's plans to spin off its gaming business and to its first-quarter report.

For Kim Snider, it only takes one word to send participants in her monthly investment workshops into a near panic. The Dallas-based financial adviser gets the same reaction, without fail, every time she suggests using options as a way to protect stock portfolios and make money.

Following the first day of chip maker Texas Instruments Inc.'s two-day meeting with members of Wall Street, analysts said the company's analog business continues to present its best growth opportunity.

Imation Corp. plans to close its floppy diskette plant in Wahpeton by the end of the year, a few months sooner than expected, after a group of former employees have taken over some of its contracts.

KLA-Tencor Corp. said Wednesday its board declared a regular quarterly dividend of 15 cents. The company, which sells microchip testing equipment, said the dividend is payable June 2 to shareholders of record May 19.

Shares of broadband technology supplier Cogent Communications Group Inc. plunged Friday after it said its first-quarter loss widened slightly on higher equity-based compensation and other costs.

Shares of Sonus Networks Inc. rose Friday after the Internet Protocol equipment and software maker said it swung to a profit in the first quarter, surprising analysts.

A Citi Investment Research analyst began covering shares of U.S.-based solar power companies Friday, saying First Solar Inc. is one of the few companies that will weather sharp decline in prices.

Google Inc, in talks with Internet portal Yahoo Inc, is hoping that it can strike an advertising deal, according to a report.

RealNetworks Inc, the digital media company, plans to spin-off its fastest growing unit which makes games for various platforms into a separate company.

Graphic chip-maker Nvidia Corp. on Thursday reported a 34 percent jump in first-quarter profit, boosted by stronger sales of its graphics processors, but shares fell as earnings still missed expectations.

Occam Networks Inc., a telecom equipment provider, said Thursday it appointed Jeanne Seeley as its new chief financial officer, effective Monday. Seeley most recently served as chief financial officer and chief administrative officer of Japan-based Access Co. Ltd.

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, May 8, from AP Financial News: CHELMSFORD, Mass. (AP) _ Brooks Automation Inc. said Thursday it swung to fiscal second-quarter loss as revenue fell sharply amid a corporate restructuring.

Shares of network storage company NetApp Inc. climbed Thursday after Citigroup analyst Paul Mansky raised his price target on the company's potential for solid fourth-quarter results.

RealNetworks Inc. said Thursday that it plans to spin off its casual games business into a separate company and distribute its shares to RealNetworks stockholders.

RealNetworks Inc. said Thursday that its board approved a plan to buy back up to $50 million in stock. Shares of RealNetworks, which operates the Rhapsody online music service and provides the RealPlayer media player, rose 62 cents, or 9.6 percent, to $7.10 in after-hours trading. The stock had fini...