Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Thursday:
AAI – ALCOA INC – untraded at $10.50
EPW – ERM POWER LTD – untraded at $1.355
Gas-fired power supplier ERM Power has entered into a joint-venture gas supply agreement to sell 15,000 terajoules (one terajoule equals one trillion joules) of gas to Alcoa Australia from November 12, 2012.
CCA – COCA-COLA AMATIL LTD – up 0.15 cents at 47.4 cents
FGL – FOSTER’S GROUP LTD – up one cent at $5.29
Soft drink maker Coca-Cola Amatil has a high expectation of acquiring the spirits, ready-to-drink mixed spirits and non-alcoholic brands of brewer Foster’s Group.
COF – COFFEY INTERNATIONAL LTD – in trading halt, last traded at 46 cents
Engineering firm Coffey International says it will issue about $40 million in new shares to pay down debt.
CQO – CHARTER HALL OFFICE REIT – up three cents, or 0.9 per cent, at $3.30
CHC – CHARTER HALL GROUP – up 5.5 cents, or 3.4 per cent, at $1.685
MQG – MACQUARIE GROUP LTD – up 28 cents, or 1.4 per cent, at $21.08
A Macquarie Group-led consortium has increased its offer for office building owner Charter Hall Office Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
LEI – LEIGHTON HOLDINGS – up 64 cents, or 3.5 per cent, at $18.81
A health and safety audit of Brisbane’s Airport Link tunnel did not identify any serious safety issues, constructor Thiess John Holland said.
NAB – NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LTD – last traded at $21.78
The NAB has appointed former Treasury head Dr Ken Henry to its board.
NHC – NEW HOPE CORPORATION LTD – up 81 cents, or 15.3 per cent, at $6.10
SOL – WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON & CO LTD – up 99 cents, or 7.8 per cent, at $13.64
Coal miner New Hope Corporation has called for formal takeover proposals after receiving several preliminary offers.
Washington H Soul Pattinson owns about 60 per cent of New Hope.
ORI – ORICA LTD – up 36 cents, or 1.6 per cent, at $22.76
Companies responsible for pollution breaches will have to report them immediately or face a $2 million fine, the NSW government said as it released a report into a Newcastle chemical spill.
QAN – QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD – steady at $1.375
The aircraft engineers’ union has questioned the authenticity of death threats sent to senior management at national carrier Qantas, suggesting they may have been concocted to garner public sympathy.
Qantas Airways says the latest version of Airbus’s narrowbody workhorse will open up new routes and expand the airline’s international network.
SGP – STOCKLAND – up one cent at $2.97
Developer Stockland says it has changed the way it will pay its executive committee in relation to short term incentives.
WES – WESFARMERS LTD – down three cents, at $30.01
Wesfarmers has appointed Dene Rogers, who has been a senior executive at North American retail giant Sears, as managing director of its discount department store chain Target.
WOR – WORLEYPARSONS LTD – last traded at $2522
WorleyParsons has won a contract for work on the $2.5 billion first stage of the Wiggins Island coal export terminal in Queensland.
