(Australian Associated Press)
Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange:
ALL – ARISTOCRAT LEISURE – down 36 cents, or 1.7 per cent, at $21.39
Aristocrat Leisure’s chief financial officer is stepping down after deciding not to relocate with the company from Sydney to Las Vegas.
BAL – BELLAMY’S AUSTRALIA – suspended from trade at $6.74
The infant formula supplier says Chinese authorities are looking at the company’s Camperdown Powder canning line in Victoria, after a third-party’s allegations relating to historical filing and records and previous quality issues.
MTS – METCASH – up 7 cents, or 2.9 per cent, at $2.47
The food and grocery wholesaler has appointed Jeff Adams, a former executive at British supermarket giant Tesco, as its next chief executive.
SGH – SLATER AND GORDON – up 0.7 cents, or 9.5 per cent, at 8.1 cents
Slater and Gordon has agreed to a $36.5 million settlement of class actions brought by thousands of unhappy shareholders, allowing the stricken law firm to take another step toward restructuring.
VOC – VOC GROUP – up 9 cents, or 2.6 per cent, at $3.54
Asian private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners has tapped into a $2.2 billion bidding war for Australia’s fourth-biggest telecommunications company Vocus Group, rivalling a similar offer from the US.