Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange erly on Friday:
ANZ – AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LTD – down 41 cents at $20.49
ANZ’s weak revenue growth, particularly at its Asian and financial markets businesses, disappointed investors, even as the bank reported a record $5.36 billion profit.
BCI – BCI IRON LTD – up four cents at $2.34
On a day its chief executive was making headlines battling politicians over the minerals resources tax in Canberra, BC Iron achieved a milestone of its own.
BLD – BORAL LTD – down eight cents at $3.60
Building products maker Boral expects to repeat its second half performance in the first half of financial 2012 after a tough start to the year..
CTY – COUNTRY ROAD LTD – untraded at $3.20
Fashion retailer Country Road says sales so far this financial year are down and it expects difficult trading conditions to carry on through Christmas.
MAH – MACMAHON HOLDINGS – down one cent at 59 cents
Mining-focused engineer Macmahon Holdings says recent contract wins that have bolstered its order book to a record $3.1 billion and this shows it can turn its fortunes around.
NWS – NEWS CORPORATION – up 70 cents at $17.21
NWSLV – NEWS CORPORATION NON-VOTING STOCK – up 59 cents at $16.77
News Corporation president and chief operating officer Chase Carey has backed fellow director James Murdoch despite a strong protest vote against him at last month’s annual general meeting.
QAN – QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD – last traded at $1.575
Qantas boss Alan Joyce faces a hostile reception from Labor senators when he fronts a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra shortly.
PPT – PERPETUAL LTD – down 56 cents at $20.74
Wealth manager Perpetual is forecasting a drop in first half underlying profit due to weakening equity markets..
SHV – SELECT HARVESTS LTD – down one cent at $1.62
Almond producer Select Harvests has appointed former ABB Grain managing director Michael Iwaniw as chairman to succeed Curt Leonard.
TOL – TOLL HOLDINGS LTD – down one cent at $4.62
Toll Holdings has appointed Grant Devonport as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Mr Devonport became acting CFO in September, and had been with the company for five years, having been divisional commercial manager for the Toll Global Resources division and CFO for Toll New Zealand, the Melbourne-based company said in a statement on Thursday.
WOW – WOOLWORTHS LTD – up 52 cents at $23.91
The head of Australia’s competition watchdog has admitted it may be tough to prove that supermarket giant Woolworths is abusing its market dominance by stocking more home-brand products.
