Stocks of interest on the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday:
AGI – AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY – down 36 cents, or 11.6 per cent, at $2.74
Delays to government approvals for new poker machines have sparked a profit warning from developer Ainsworth Game Technology.
BHP – BHP BILLITON – down $1.69, or 5.7 per cent, at $27.90
RIO – RIO TINTO – down $1.18, or two per cent, at $57.02
FMG – FORTESCUE METALS – down 10 cents, or 4.1 per cent, at $2.32
The price of iron ore is trading around a three month high of $US64.77 per tonne, more than 35 per cent above the 10 year low of $US47 hit in February.
IAG – INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP – down 23 cents, or 4.1 per cent, at $5.43
SUN – SUNCORP GROUP – down 37 cents, or 2.7 per cent, at $13.16
QBE – QBE INSURANCE – down 85 cents, or 5.8 per cent, at $13.80
The series of severe storms that wreaked havoc along Australia’s east coast in April and May have left a $1.55 billion damage bill.
MCP – MCPHERSON’S – down 22 cents, or 22.7 per cent, at 75 cents
The company behind kitchen and bathroom product brands including Wiltshire, Stanley Rogers and Manicare slashed its profit forecasts.
MTS – METCASH – down 26 cents, or 18.8 per cent, at $1.12
Grocery wholesaler Metcash shocked investors by suspending its dividend payments after making $640 million worth of writedowns.
MYR – MYER – down 11 cents, or 7.3 per cent, at $1.39
Myer has begun store closures as the retailer attempts to reverse its flagging fortunes.
QUB – QUBE – down 40 cents, or 13.8 per cent, at $2.50
Logistics and infrastructure company Qube warned tough trading conditions are unlikely to improve in the next 12 months.
RFG – RETAIL FOOD GROUP – down $1.15, or 17.3 per cent, at $5.50
Gloria Jeans and Crust Pizza owner Retail Food Group faces an $18.5 million hit to its bottom line but remains confident of lifting its annual profit.
SRX – SIRTEX – up $2.36, or 8.85 per cent, at $29.04
Biomedical group Sirtex received a positive response from oncology experts to its liver cancer treatment.
VET – VOCATION – down 3.5 cents, or 25.9 per cent, at 10 cents
Troubled education provider Vocation faces a massive plunge in annual earnings after being forced to sell a string of businesses following problems with its Victorian operations.
VRT – VIRTUS HEALTH – down $1.73, or 22.3 per cent, at $6.03
IVF provider Virtus Health lowered its full year profit guidance, due to bigger-than-expected non-recurring items of $2.3 million because it hasn’t harvested and implanted as many fertilised eggs as expected.
