Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close on Friday:
ANZ – ANZ BANKING GROUP LTD – down 29 cents at $27.77
ANZ shares have fallen amid disappointment at its first quarter earnings result.
ANZ’s underlying cash profit rose 6.3 per cent to $1.53 billion in the three months to December 31.
However its statutory net profit dropped by nearly a fifth to $1.36 billion due to accounting adjustments linked to foreign exchange rates and basis hedge valuations. .
APN – APN NEWS & MEDIA LTD – in trading halt, last traded at 30 cents
APN News & Media has placed its shares in a trading halt amid speculation about the future of its chief executive.
CQR – CHARTER HALL RETAIL REIT – up two cents at $3.88
Shopping centre group Charter Hall Retail REIT has swung back into the black with a first half net profit of $15.8 million.
GTG – GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES LTD – steady at 8.3 cents
A cancer group which fought against the patenting of a human gene linked to breast and ovarian cancer has lost its landmark case in the Federal Court.
OCG – OCeANAGOLD CORPORATION – down one cent at $1.80
OceanaGold Corp’s after-tax profit for the 2012 calendar year more than halved from the previous year despite a 55 per cent increase in gold production in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter.
RIO – RIO TINTO LTD – down $1.92 at $70.15
Rio Tinto’s shares fell by more than two per cent in early trade after it posted its first-ever loss.
SGM – SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT LTD – down 11 cents at $10.85
Recycler Sims Metal Management will write down the value of inventory at its British operations by $78 million after uncovering a possible case of fraud.
TGR – TASSAL GROUP LTD – up 16.5 cents at $1.88
Salmon farmer Tassal says it has a strong marketing plan and new product initiatives to continue to boost the consumption of salmon among domestic consumers.
WES – WESFARMERS LTD – up 67 cents at $39.55
WOW – WOOLWORTHS LTD – up two cents at $32.90
The head of Australia’s competition watchdog says it was hard to get grocery suppliers to come forward to give evidence about alleged improper practices by Coles and Woolworths.
