Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at noon on Thursday:
FMG – FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LTD – steady at $4.66
Fortescue is due to release its second quarter production report on Thursday.
NCM – NEWCREST MINING LTD – down 38 cents, or 1.6 per cent, at $23.17
Miner Newcrest has maintained its full-year production forecasts after December quarter gold and copper production rose from the preceding three months.
OZL – OZ MINERALS LTD – down 53 cents, or 7.3 per cent, at $6.78
OZ Minerals predicts copper production will fall in 2013 and gold may follow, as the company posts a drop in production in the final three months of 2012.
PNA – PANAUST LTD – down 16 cents, or 4.8 per cent, at $3.19
Copper and gold producer PanAust has forecast steady earnings in 2013 after meeting its production targets for 2012.
QAN – QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD – down 0.75 cents at $1.5125
Qantas has offered its check-in and customer service staff voluntary redundancies after losing a multimillion contract with Air New Zealand.
