Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Thursday, August 16
ALS – ALESCO CORPORATION LTD – up 8.5 cents at $2.00
DLX – DULUXGROUP LTD – up five cents at $3.38
Takeover target Alesco Corporation may endorse a bid from paintmaker DuluxGroup if DuluxGroup supports a change in the dividend component of the offer.
CBA – COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – up 51 cents at $56.05
Commonwealth Bank’s record $7.1 billion profit will benefit millions of Australian households, its chief executive says.
CMG – CHANDLER MACLEOD LTD – up 0.5 cents at 42.5 cents
Recruitment firm Chandler Macleod says it will expand into Asia as it looks beyond a patchwork local economy that is expected to be a drag on profit growth.
CSS – CLEAN SEAS TUNA LTD – down 0.1 cents at 2.2 cents
Clean Seas Tuna will cut jobs and put its Kingfish business up for sale because problems associated with sick fish have continued to hurt its bottom line.
EGP – ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LTD – down 11 cents at $4.07
Casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group says any potential proposal from rival Crown or Malaysian gambling group Genting must recognise the value of Echo’s “good, long-term licences” in NSW and Queensland.
FGE – FORGE GROUP LTD – up 11 cents at $4.65
Forge Group shares rose more than two per cent as the engineering and construction firm positions itself for more growth after reporting a 24 per cent increase in full year net profit.
HDF – HASTINGS DIVERSIFIED UTILITIES FUND – down four cents at $2.49
APA – APA GROUP – steady at $4.70
Pipeline Partners Australia (PPA) Pty Ltd has increased its cash offer for Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund (HDF) by 10 cents to $2.43 per security.
MGR – MIRVAC GROUP – down two cents at $1.355
Investment executive Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz is to take on the top job at property developer Mirvac Group following Nick Collishaw’s surprise decision to step down from his post
ORL – OROTONGROUP LTD – in trading halt, last traded at $7.74
Accessories brand Oroton Group has placed its shares in a trading halt ahead of an expected announcement about its licence with US designer Ralph Lauren.
OZL – OZ MINERALS LTD – down 55 cents at $7.37
The increasingly likely delay of BHP Billiton’s massive $30 billion Olympic Dam expansion is being welcomed by Oz Minerals which has revealed sharp jumps in operating costs.
PRY – PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LTD – up 37 cents at $3.46
Medical centres operator and pathology provider Primary Health Care has unveiled a near 50 per cent rise in full year profit and forecast stronger earnings in 2012/12.
SGM – SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT – down 76 cents at $8.67
Sims Metal Management’s horror year continued with the company’s stock punished by investors after it flagged a $521 million full year loss.
WDC – WESTFIELD GROUP – up five cents at $9.63
WRT – WESTFIELD RETAIL TRUST – down four cents at $2.99
Westfield has lifted its first half profit by nearly a third and says it will boost investment in its better-performing Australian shopping centres to drive earnings further.
