Stocks to watch: CDL, ST Engineering, Manulife US Reit, Singtel, Wilmar

THE following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Thursday:

City Developments Limited C09 (CDL): The property giant on Thursday announced it slipped into the red for the first half of 2021, recording a net loss of S$32.1 million, following the withdrawal of a S$17.6 million tax credit from the New Zealand government given to businesses in the year-ago period and continued impact from the Covid-19 pandemic. Shares of CDL closed at S$6.61 on Wednesday, down S$0.10 or 1.5 per cent.

Singapore Technologies Engineering S63 (ST Engineering): Its net profit for the first half of FY2021 rose 15 per cent to S$296.1 million from S$257.4 million the previous year, announced the group on Thursday morning. The bottomline improvement came from better operating performance of the group's urban solutions and satellite communications as well as its defence and public security segments. Shares of ST Engineering closed S$0.05 or 1.2 per cent lower at S$4.03 on Wednesday.

Manulife US Reit BTOU : The US-based office property landlord on Thursday announced a distribution per unit (DPU) of 2.7 US cents for the six months ended June 30, down 11.5 per cent from the DPU of 3.05 cents in the year-ago period, due to lower rental income amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The counter closed 2.6 per cent or two US cents lower at 76.5 cents on Wednesday.

Singtel Z74: The telco on Thursday posted a net profit of S$445 million for its first quarter ended June 30, compared with a net loss of S$20 million a year ago on the back of improved operating and business environment with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Shares of Singtel ended 0.9 per cent or S$0.02 lower to close at S$2.31 on Wednesday.

Keppel DC Reit AJBU : The real estate investment trust's (Reit) manager announced on Thursday that it has proposed a private placement of 81 million new units in the Reit at an issue price of between S$2.47 and S$2.522 per new unit, to raise gross proceeds of between S$200.1 million and S$204.3 million, to fund the acquisition of a data centre in Guangdong, China, as well as to fund future acquisitions and repay debt. Keppel DC Reit requested a trading halt prior to the announcement; its units closed at S$2.57 on Wednesday, down S$0.03 or 1.2 per cent.

Wilmar International F34: The agribusiness giant's net profit for the first half of this year increased 23 per cent to US$750.9 million, from US$610.5 million in the year-ago period, the group said on Wednesday. Shares of Wilmar closed 0.2 per cent or S$0.01 lower at S$4.49 on Wednesday, before the results were released.

Jiutian Chemical Group C8R: The Catalist-listed company clocked a record half-yearly net profit of 160.3 million yuan (S$33.6 million), up from the 35.4 million yuan posted in the year-ago period, the company said in a bourse filing on Wednesday. Shares of Jiutian Chemical closed at 9.3 Singapore cents on Wednesday, down 2.1 per cent or 0.2 cent, before the results were released.

Moya Holdings Asia 5WE: The Indonesian water treatment company posted S$20.4 million in net profit for the six months ended June 30, up 23 per cent from the year-ago period, the group said in a bourse filing after trading hours on Wednesday. Moya shares ended Wednesday up 1.4 per cent or 0.1 Singapore cent at 7.3 cents.

Rex International 5WH: Petroci Holding, Ivory Coast's national oil company, has filed a claim against two subsidiaries of Rex International, Rex Oman Limited and Masirah Oil (MOL), Rex International said in a bourse filing on Wednesday. Shares of Rex International closed at 23.5 Singapore cents on Wednesday, up 0.5 cent or 2.2 per cent, before the announcement.