Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at open on Thursday, Feb 5:
CBA – COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – up 39 cents, or 0.4 per cent, at $90.79
WBC – WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – up 97 cents, or 2.75 per cent, at $36.23
Westpac has delivered a bigger interest rate cut than the Reserve Bank, lowering its standard variable mortgage rate by 28 basis points, while Commonwealth cut its variable rates by 25 basis points.
DOW – DOWNER EDI – up 22 cents, or 5.15 per cent, at $4.49
AIO – ASCIANO – up nine cents, or 1.5 per cent, at $6.09
Engineering group Downer EDI has signed a $1 billion, 10-year freight train maintenance deal with rail business Pacific National.
EGP – ECHO ENTERTAINMENT – down nine cents, or 2.1 per cent, at $4.14
An improved performance from The Star casino in Sydney has helped Echo Entertainment Group more than double its first half profit.
NUF – NUFARM – down 24 cents, or four per cent, at $5.77
Agricultural chemicals maker Nufarm’s long serving chief executive Doug Rathbone has stepped down.
RMS – RAMELIUS RESOURCES – down 0.5 cents, or 3.7 per cent, at 13 cents
Gold miner Ramelius Resources expects to return to profit due a higher gold price and increased production.
VOC – VOCUS COMMUNICATIONS – down 18 cents, or 2.9 per cent, at $6.12
Australian fibre network and datacentre company Vocus Communications has entered into an agreement with Kiwi telco Spark New Zealand to form a new construction joint venture, Connect 8.
WPL – Woodside Petroleum – up 18 cents, or 0.5 per cent, at $35.87
STO – SANTOS – up 15 cents, or 1.8 per cent, at $8.36
OSH – OIL SEARCH – up 14 cents, or 1.7 per cent, at $8.47
