Stocks to watch: HPL, ComfortDelGro, Seatrium, Boustead

THE following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Wednesday (Aug 23):

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) : The hotel owner and operator disclosed on Tuesday that it had given S$24.6 million in advances to two jointly controlled entities where managing director Ong Beng Seng is deemed to have interest, and the amounts were due. The Singapore Exchange Regulation had asked HPL to provide a breakdown of various transactions and their nature in the first fiscal half of the year ended Jun 30. Shares of HPL closed 1.4 per cent or S$0.05 lower at S$3.50, before the announcement.

ComfortDelGro : The transport operator on Tuesday said it will pay out its interim dividend of S$0.029 per ordinary share a day earlier than planned, as the original payment date – Sep 1 – has been declared a public holiday for the Presidential Election. Its counter closed up 1.6 per cent or S$0.02 at S$1.26, before the announcement.