Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Friday, July 27
ALZ – AUSTRALAND PROPERTY GROUP LTD – up 16 cents at $2.71 cents
Australand is confident of delivering earnings growth in 2012 after reversing its profit slide amid tough times in the property development market.
APN – APN NEWS & MEDIA LTD – up 2.5 cents at 53.5 cents
APN News & Media says it doesn’t know of any unannounced information that would explain its recent share price fall.
BTA – BIOTA LTD – down one cent at 68 cents
Drug maker Biota Holdings has posted a 17 per cent rise in global sales of its key flu drug Relenza in the fourth quarter.
CTX – CALTEX AUSTRALIA LTD – up 20 cents at $14.26
Caltex Australia has refused to guarantee the long-term future of 660 workers at its Brisbane oil refinery after committing to shutting its Sydney plant.
DLS – DRILLSEARCH ENERGY LTD – in trading halt, last traded at $1.15
Drillsearch Energy has announced a $40 million capital raising to drive development of its oil and gas projects.
ERA – ENERGY RESOURCES OF AUSTRALIA LTD – down 0.5 cents at $1.47
Uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) says Japan will re-embrace nuclear power and that China will become increasingly reliant on the same technology.
HDF – HASTINGS DIVERSIFIED UTILITIES FUND – steady at $2.54
APA – APA GROUP – down five cents at $4.90
Independent directors of Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund’s (HDF) responsible entity are to hold talks with APA Group about its sweetened $1.34 billion takeover offer.
MST – METAL STORM LTD – in trading halt, last traded at 0.1 cent
Defence technology company Metal Storm has been placed in voluntary administration.
NCM – NEWCREST MINING LTD – up 22 cents at $22.37
Australia’s biggest gold miner Newcrest Mining says major project expansions at Cadia Valley and Lihir remain on schedule as its shares jump six per cent in 48 hours.
NUF – NUFARM LTD – down two cents at $5.29
Agribusiness Nufarm Ltd expects to generate a higher underlying profit in the current financial year as its businesses in Australia and Brazil perform solidly.
OSH – OIL SEARCH LTD – up seven cents at $6.76
Australian company Oil Search has suspended loading operations in Papua New Guinea after an oil spill that the company described as minor.
QAN – QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD – up 9.5 cents at $1.085
Shares in Qantas Airways have soared as the national carrier confirmed it is in talks with a number of airlines about potential alliances, including Dubai-based Emirates.
ROC – ROC OIL LTD – up 0.5 cents at 28 cents
Roc Oil remains on track to achieve its forecast of between 6,000 and 7,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day by the end of the year, despite a 14 per cent drop in the June quarter.
WES – WESFARMERS LTD – up 27 cents at $32.25
The head of one of Australia’s retail giants fears there is no end in sight to the nation’s consumer gloom, despite its flagship Coles supermarket boasting a hefty full year sales increase.
