Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Thursday, April 23:

AHY – ASALEO CARE – up 1.5 cents, or 0.8 per cent, at $1.87

The company behind Sorbent toilet paper and Libra tampons is on track to increase its profit this year.

BHP – BHP BILLITON – down 33 cents, or 1.1 per cent, at $30.27

BHP has shrugged off price worries to lift iron ore production guidance for this year by two per cent to 250 million tonnes but has delayed growth beyond that.

BOL – BOOM LOGISTICS – down one cent, or 7.7 per cent, at 12 cents

Boom Logistics, a major supplier of cranes to mining companies, is warning shareholders of a big dip in profit during the second half of the financial year.

DXS – DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – down 18 cents, or 2.4 per cent, at $7.37

Dexus has raised $400 million from the issue of new securities to institutional investors, and plans to raise a further $50 million from securityholders to fund new investments.

NAB – NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK – down 47 cents, or 1.2 per cent, at $38.11

National Australia Bank is pushing ahead with its planned selldown of its stake in US agribusiness lender Great Western Bank.

PNA – PANAUST – up 0.5 cents, or 0.3 per cent, at $1.74

Gold and copper miner PanAust is open to an increased takeover offer after rejecting a $1.1 billion Chinese approach.

RHC – RAMSAY HEALTH CARE – down 25 cents, or 0.4 per cent, at $64.65

International hospital provider Ramsay Health Care has agreed to lease Vital Healthcare Property Trust’s Allamanda Private Hospital for the next 21 years.

SGT – SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS – down three cents, or 0.7 per cent, at $4.14

The Singapore-based company behind telco Optus has received approval to remove itself from the Australian share market.