Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange early on Thursday:
AIO – ASCIANO LTD – steady at $4.59
Asciano chief executive John Mullen is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for an injury he suffered during the Christmas holidays.
CRZ – CARSALES.COM LTD – down eight cents at $4.98
Carsales.com Ltd has reported a 20 per cent lift in first-half net profit and says it expects its second half result to be “well up” on the prior year.
CBA – COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – up 27 cents at $50.23
Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA) first-half cash profit has grown by seven per cent to $3.576 billion and the company has no plans for major job cuts.
DMP – DOMINO’s PIZZA ENTERPRISES LTD – up 46 cents at $7.70
Domino’s Pizza has booked a 23 per cent rise in first-half profits and has lifted its expectations for earnings growth in 2012.
DXS – DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – up 1.5 cents at 89 cents
Dexus Property Group has reported a 50 per cent loss in half-year profits but says its business is well positioned against any deterioration in the economy.
FMG – FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LTD – down eight cents at $5.53
Fortescue Metals Group has more than doubled its first-half profit to $801 million but has reduced its production guidance for the March quarter due to the impact of Cyclone Heidi.
NBL – NONI B LTD – up seven cents at 73 cents
Noni B has lifted its first half net profit by more than 50 per cent to $2.4 million and flagged an improvement in second half earnings.
OZL – OZ MINERALS LTD – down 15 cents at $11.34
A cashed-up Oz Minerals has admitted that it is facing mounting pressure to acquire another mine before its flagship and only producing asset runs out of copper ore.
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PPT – PERPETUAL LTD – up $1.55 at $23.21
Perpetual Ltd has warned it will post a 34.5 per cent drop in its first-half after-tax profit due to restructuring costs and losses on market-linked investments.
PRY – PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LTD – down 14 cents at $2.83
Medical centres operator and pathology provider Primary Health Care Ltd says it is operating in line with expectations and expects to meet its earlier annual profit guidance.
TRS – THE REJECT SHOP LTD – up 84 cents at $11.84
The Reject Shop has reported a four per cent lift in first-half net profit and says retail conditions are expected to remain weak in the short term.
WDC – WESTFIELD GROUP – up 44 cents at $8.81
Westfield Group has announced a $US4.8 billion ($A4.7 billion) joint venture over 12 assets in the United States with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
WRT – WESTFIELD RETAIL TRUST – up six cents at $2.41
Westfield Retail Trust has recorded net profit of $851.7 million in its first full year to December 31, 2011, despite a challenging operating environment.
