Singapore shares may rise on Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street overnight after a swing towards the Republicans in US elections lifted investor sentiment. But gains may be subdued ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s decision on further quantitative easing to boost the flagging economy.
Singapore’s benchmark Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> rose 0.41% on Tuesday to 3,205.28 points. Here are some stocks to watch according to Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg.
Shares of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC.SI) may be in focus after its private banking arm, Bank of Singapore, said it expects profits and client assets to grow by 20% next year as investments in staff and infrastructure start to pay off.
Noble Group (NOBL SP): The Hong Kong-based commodities supplier backed by China’s sovereign wealth fund said Executive Chairman Tobias Brown will step down after three months in the job. The mutually agreed resignation arose from “the practical realities of running Noble with both an executive chairman and a CEO,” the company said in a statement. Noble gained 1% to $1.95.
Budget carrier Tiger Airways (TAHL.SI) said on Tuesday its July-September net profit was $14.1 million, reversing from a net loss of $2.3 million a year earlier due to higher passenger growth. Its revenues grew 35.4% to $143.5 million for the second quarter ended Sept 30.
SIA Engineering (SIAE.SI) reported its second quarter net profit rose 8.8% to $66.5 million from a year ago, on the back of higher sales from airframe and component overhaul work. Its revenue rose 11.7% to $277.1 million in the July-September period from a year earlier.
SATS (SATS.SI) said on Tuesday its second quarter net profit rose 10.5% to $45.2 million from a year earlier, boosted by higher catering revenue from providing meals for the Youth Olympic Games and higher contribution from its UK operations.
Construction firm Chip Eng Seng (CESE.SI) said on Tuesday its wholly-owned subsidiary has won a bid to develop a public housing project in eastern Singapore. The purchase price for the land parcel was $112.7 million.
Straits Asia Resources (SAR SP): The owner of Indonesian coal mines said third-quarter net income decreased to US$23.2 million ($29.9 million) from US$38.6 million a year ago. Straits Asia slipped 1.3% to $2.32.
Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS SP): The ground-handling services provider partly owned by Temasek Holdings Pte said second-quarter net income climbed 10% to $45.2 million from a year earlier. Its shares were unchanged at $2.89.
Elec & Eltek International Co. (ELEC SP): The maker of printed circuit boards said third-quarter net income increased 52% to $21.7 million from a year earlier. Its shares gained 0.3% to $3.
Bulk-shipping companies: The Baltic Dry Index, which measures the cost of shipping commodities, fell 1.8% in London yesterday, taking its four-day decline to 6.6%. Cosco Corp. Singapore (COS SP), a China-based shipbuilder that also operates bulk carriers, gained 0.5% to $1.89. STX Pan Ocean Co. (STX SP), South Korea’s biggest bulk carrier, climbed 2.9% to $14.20.