Stocks to watch: OUE Lippo Healthcare, Hiap Tong Corp, USP Group

THE following companies saw new developments which may affect trading of their shares on Wednesday:

OUE Lippo Healthcare: The group called for a trading halt before the market opened on Wednesday morning, citing the pending release of an announcement.

Hiap Tong Corporation: A wholly owned subsidiary has snagged a five-year extension to a lifting services contract with ExxonMobil, the crane provider said on Tuesday evening. While the actual value of the contract - which began on Jan 1 - will depend on the amount and scope of work to be done, the group said it "expects the extension contract to continue to have a positive contribution to its earnings and financial performance". It had a similar contract with ExxonMobil from 2013 to 2017.

USP Group: The mainboard-listed business group, which is involved in sectors such as waste oil recycling and various distributorships, is scaling up its boat building interests. It said on Tuesday evening that it had inked an agreement with ship designer and developer Harbin Engineering University Ship Equipment & Technology, and a separate deal with Guangdong-based yacht producer Maxthon Yachts.