Feds reportedly broaden stock options probe

Five more U.S. companies, including semiconductor-equipment maker KLA-Tencor Corp., have shown questionable patterns surrounding the timing of option grants to their executives, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Over the past two months, a number of companies have come under investigation by federal authorities over patterns of granting stock options to their top executives. One, UnitedHealth Group Inc., has been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice and said it may have to restate several years of earnings because of the matter.

Now, the Journal reported that its own statistical analysis of options grants to executives by U.S. corporations uncovered five more companies whose options grant timings show suspicious patterns.

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In addition to KLA-Tencor, the Journal said its analysis identified Boston Communications Group Inc., a maker of software for wireless communications providers; Meade Instruments Corp., a maker of high-end telescopes; Renal Care Group, now a unit of Germany’s Fresenius AG; and Trident Microsystems Inc., a maker of chips for televisions.

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In a press release on Monday, Trident said it has referred the matter to its audit committee for review, but said the article offers no evidence of wrongdoing other than implications of statistical analysis. It also said it received a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry in 2004 regarding options grants during the period 2000 to 2004.

Spokesmen for KLA-Tencor, Fresenius, Meade and Boston Communications were not immediately available for comment on the Journal’s report.