Rule could jolt Ariz. firms

Rule could jolt Ariz. firms: "A decision by accounting rulemakers to require option expensing could hit Arizona public companies fairly hard, judging from the many small corporations in the state. But whether the move leads to a sell-off of local stocks remains to be seen. 'Smaller companies use options proportionately more than larger companies,' said Barbara Walchli, portfolio manager of the Aquila Rocky Mountain Equity Fund, a mutual fund that invests in regional stocks. 'It's a bigger issue for smaller companies.'"