Stocks of interest on the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday:
AMP – AMP – up 16 cents, or 2.5 per cent, at $6.66
AMP boosted its payments to shareholders on the back of a massive improvement in its life insurance business contributing to a 32 per cent rise in annual profit.
CWN – CROWN RESORTS – up $1.42, or 9.8 per cent, at $15.88
Casinos operator Crown Resorts says conditions in one of its key markets, Macau, are weak but it remains bullish about prospects there.
DLS – DRILLSEARCH ENERGY – down six cents, or 5.8 per cent, at 97 cents
Drillsearch Energy says it is financially health and acting to deal with weak oil and gas prices after its interim net profit fell 60 per cent.
FXJ – FAIRFAX MEDIA – up two cents, or 2.25 per cent, at 91 cents
Media group Fairfax suffered an 86 per cent slide in its first half profit due to $26.3 million due to one-off impairment charges and redundancy costs.
IIN – IINET – down 80 cents, or 11.1 per cent, at $6.41
Despite a flat first half profit, internet provider iiNet has increased its number of broadband customers to 975,000, just behind those of bigger rival Optus.
JHX – JAMES HARDIE – down 15 cents, or one per cent, at $13.95
Building products maker James Hardie releases its third quarter results on Friday.
MPL – MEDIBANK PRIVATE – down two cents, or 0.8 per cent, at $2.56
Health insurance giant Medibank Private issues its half year results on Friday.
ORG – ORIGIN ENERGY – up two cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $12.75
Origin Energy has flagged cuts to spending in its retail and exploration and production as it slumped to a $25 million half year loss.
STO – SANTOS – down six cents, or 0.7 per cent, at $8.24
Australia’s second largest oil and gas producer Santos releases its full year results on Friday.
SUL – SUPER RETAIL GROUP – up 88 cents, or 10 per cent, at $9.71
The retailer behind Rebel sports stores and Ray’s Outdoors has nearly halved its first half profit after carrying out a major restructure.
TTS – TATTS – down nine cents, or 2.3 per cent, at $3.78
Tatts has increased first half net profit by 14.6 per cent to $139.8 million and is forecasting similar growth for the rest of 2014-15.
VAH – VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS – up 0.5 cents, or one per cent, at 48 cents
Virgin Australia has narrowed its first-half loss to $53.1 million, driven by a five-year $1 billion cost-cutting program and domestic yield growth.
WEB – WEBJET – up 14 cents, or 4.1 per cent, at $3.52
Webjet’s international bookings have taken off in the first half and it expects future growth in the sector as it takes on bricks-and-mortar travel agents.
WES – WESFARMERS – down 71 cents, or 1.55 per cent, at $45.18
Retail conglomerate Wesfarmers is upbeat on the outlook for its businesses after its flagship division, Coles, lifted its first half earnings more than seven per cent.
