Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Monday October 24
APN – APN NEWS & MEDIA LTD – down 0.5 cents at 85 cents
APN News & Media has named a former New Zealand Lotteries Commission executive as its chief operating officer of New Zealand.
LEI – LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LTD – up four cents at $20.56
WOR – WORLEYPARSONS LTD – down one cent at $27.80
Leighton Holdings and WorleyParsons say Libya remains off-limits for the foreseeable future in the wake of Muammar Gaddafi’s killing, as uncertainty remains.
MCC – MACARTHUR COAL LTD – up 14 cents at $16.22
Peabody Energy and ArcelorMittal look certain to take over Queensland miner Macarthur Coal after an about-face by China’s CITIC, which will realise $1.2 billion by selling its shareholding.
MND – MONDELPHOUS GROUP LTD – up three cents at $18.85
RIO – RIO TINTO LTD – down 28 cents at $62.57
Engineering firm Monadelphous Group has signed new contracts with resources firms including Rio Tinto and Xstrata worth around $230 million.
POH – PHOSPHAGENICS LTD – down one cent at 16 cents
Biotech Phosphagenics has raised $24.1 million to fund trials of its patches to manage chronic pain.
PPX – PAPERLINX LTD – steady at 8.6 cents
Paper merchant Paperlinx says many of its key markets continue to struggle as worldwide demand for the core papers that Paperlinx distributes declines.
PRY – PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LTD – up 15 cents at $3.30
Shares in Primary Health Care jumped five per cent to an almost three-month high after the medical centre owner and pathology provider said it refinanced $1.02 billion of debt.
QAN – QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD – up 0.5 cents at $1.485
The industrial dispute between Qantas and its engineers is putting Australia’s economy and international reputation at risk, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says.
TOL – TOLL HOLDINGS LTD – down four cents at $4.61
Long-serving Toll Holdings managing director Paul Little will be paid an additional $1.5 million when he leaves the company at the end of the year.
VBA – VIRGIN BLUE HOLDINGS LTD – steadu at 35.5 cents
Virgin Australia’s proposed alliance with aviation powerhouse Singapore Airlines (SIA) has moved a step closer to fruition after regulators in Singapore gave the tie-up the green light.
WPL – WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LTD – down 22 cents at $33.38
Woodside Petroleum has increased third quarter revenues by 27 per cent as higher commodity prices offset lower production levels.
Separately: A protester has tied himself to a communications tower near a proposed gas hub site in the Kimberley in a bid to stop survey work for the controversial Woodside Petroleum project.
