Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on December 7

BLD – BORAL LTD – down two cents at $4.03

Building products maker Boral is cutting 90 jobs as it suspends some manufacturing at a Victorian cement plant in favour of imports.

LEI – LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LTD – down 37 cents at $16.63

Leighton Holdings subsidiary John Holland has been awarded an $851 million contract to construct the second stage of the new $1.2 billion Perth children’s hospital for the West Australian government.

MYR – MYER HOLDINGS LTD – down four cents at $2.17

The department store operator holds its annual general meeting on Friday.

NWS – NEWS CORPORATION LTD – down 26 cents at $23.85

NWSLV – NEWS CORPORATION LTD NON VOTING SHARES – down 34 cents at $23.19

News Limited will cut an expected 60 editorial production jobs after outsourcing the production of nine regional newspapers.

NUF – NUFARM LTD – down five cents at $5.62

Pesticide company Nufarm expects earnings to rise 15 per cent in the frst half of fiscal 2013 due to a stronger performance in South America and an improvement in Europe.

SOL – WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON AND CO LTD – strady at $13.03

The investment firm holds its annual general meeting on Friday.

VAH – VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS – down 0.5 cents at 43.5 cents

Virgin Australia has won approval from Singapore’s corporate regulator to take over regional airline Skywest as it makes a push into budget air travel.

WHC – WHITEHAVEN COAL LTD – down three cents at $2.99

Whitehaven Coal has applied for emergency approval to truck coal from its Narrabri mine after a train derailment.