Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange early on Thursday:
BBG – BILLABONG INTERNATIONAL LTD – up 10 cents at $3.08
Billabong International says it has appointed Sally Pitkin to the board of the surfwear retailer and engaged retail consultant Launa Inman.
CBA – COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – up 28 cents at $49.43
Commonwealth Bank’s ATM and EFTPOS services have been restored after crashing across the country.
HVN – HARVEY NORMAN LTD – down nine cents at $2.07
Consumer goods retailer Harvey Norman says its first half net profit has fallen 2.1 per cent as Australia’s discretionary retail sector faces unprecedented challenges.
MQA – MACQUARIE ATLAS ROADS – down 0.5 cents at $1.67
Global toll road owner Macquarie Atlas Roads has posted another full year loss but says it expects to pay dividends to its shareholders in 2013.
ORI – ORICA LTD – up 77 cents at $27.20
Orica has resumed work at its troubled ammonia plant near Newcastle in the NSW Hunter region.
QBE – QBE INSURANCE GROUP – up 15 cents at $11.65
Shares in QBE Insurance Group have risen 1.7 per cent higher after the insurance giant raised $450 million from institutional investors to replace its current tier two convertible debt.
SVW – SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LTD – up 33 cents to $8.99
Seven Group Holdings has reported a steep decline in first half net profit as it wrote down the value of its media investments.
WOR – WORELYPARSONS LTD – down 43 cents to $29.37
Engineering company WorleyParsons’ first half profit is up 18 per cent due to growth in resources sectors in Australia, Canada and the United States.
