Singapore shares may open higher on Tuesday after US stocks rose on Monday to levels not seen since the global financial crisis, and showed signs of pushing higher. Singapore’s benchmark Straits Times Index < .FTSTI> was down 0.59% on Monday to 3,192.18 points. Here are some stocks and factors to watch:

Palm oil firm  Wilmar International  (WLIL.SI) may be in focus after it said its proposed acquisition of Benso Oil Palm Plantation, which produces palm oil and palm kernel oil, has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana. The Indonesian government also said that Wilmar, the world’s largest listed palm oil firm, will invest US$900 million ($1.1) to build factories in the country to produce palm oil products.

Aluminium products firm  Midas Holdings  (MIDA.SI) said on Monday it has secured a contract worth 82 million yuan ($12.5 million) from CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles to supply aluminium alloy extrusion profiles for an inter-city high speed train project in China.

Hiap Seng Engineering  (HSEN.SI) said on Monday it has been awarded a letter of intent for an engineering, procurement and construction contract worth around $10.3 million for a Tembusu project.

Auswin Holdings  (ANHS.SI), which makes waterproofing and concrete protection materials, said on Monday it expects its loss for the half year ended Dec. 31 2010 to widen from the year ago period mainly due to provisions for a 2.5 million yuan ($0.5 million) loan to fund a gold exploration project in Henan, China, and higher costs.