Stocks to watch: Ascendas Reit, Mapletree Logistics Trust, Jardine C&C, Ho Bee Land, GHY

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

Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust (Ascendas Reit): The Reit has acquired 11 data centres in Europe for S$904.6 million, which will boost its exposure to data centres to 10 per cent of its total investment properties, from 4 per cent as at Dec 31, 2020. This announcement was made after a trading halt was called for on Wednesday morning. The trading halt was lifted midday and units closed at S$3.05, up by S$0.08 or 2.7 per cent.

Mapletree Logistics Trust: The trust intends to acquire two yield-accretive warehouses in Maharashtra, India for 4.55 billion rupees (S$84.4 million). The acquisition is expected to generate a net property income yield of 7.4 per cent, and the aggregate leverage ratio of the trust will be about 40.1 per cent after the acquisition is completed. The counter rose by S$0.01 or 0.5 per cent to S$1.89 on Wednesday.

Jardine Cycle & Carriage: The company has made an unconditional voluntary buyout offer for Bursa-listed Cycle & Carriage Bintang (CCB), a Mercedes-Benz dealer with 12 outlets in Malaysia. The Singapore-listed company holds 59.1 per cent of CCB's issued share capital, and is offering to acquire the stakes it does not own at RM2.40 (S$0.78) a share. The counter was down by S$0.18, or 0.8 per cent to S$22.11 on Wednesday before the filing was made.

Ho Bee Land: The company's units have acquired three residential development sites in Australia for A$103.73 million (S$107.8 million), with these plots expecting to yield about 1,200 residential lots in total. HB QLD hs acquired a 27.15 hectare (ha) site 30 km from Brisbane's Central Business District (CBD), while HBL VIC has acquired a 59.73 ha site located 28 km west of Melbourne's CBD. Ho Bee shares closed flat at S$2.42 on Wednesday, before the announcement.

GHY Culture & Media Holding: The entertainment and content provider signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese streaming giant iQiyi to jointly set up a Singapore-based talent management agency, Uni-Icon entertainment, which will serve to promote and identify talent in the region. GHY's shares closed at 74.5 Singapore cents, up by half a cent or 0.7 per cent.

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The Place Holdings: The company has obtained the green light for a proposed share consolidation subject to shareholder's approval at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting. The Place Holdings proposed that each shareholder should receive one consolidated share for every five existing shares. The counter dropped by 0.1 Singapore cent or 0.8 per cent to S$0.12 on Wednesday, before the in-principal approval given by the bourse operator was announced.

Darco Water Technologies: The water treatment company received a letter urging the company to commence legal action against non-executive deputy chairman Wang Zhi and one other person over allegations of various wrongdoings. The letter was from a group of shareholders who collectively hold substantial interest. Darco Water's counter closed flat at S$0.19 on Wednesday, before the statement was posted.

Japfa Ltd: A subsidiary of the agri-food company has priced a US$350 million senior fixed rate sustainability-linked bond due 2026 at 5.375 per cent. As at Dec 31 2020, Japfa owns about 54.5 per cent of Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, which launched the bond. Its shares closed at S$0.90 on Wednesday, up by S$0.01 or 1.1 per cent.