Stocks to watch: Keppel DC Reit, ART, Sheng Siong, Bonvests

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

Keppel DC Reit: It reported a distribution per unit (DPU) of 4.795 Singapore cents for the second half of the fiscal year ended December 2020, 27.5 per cent higher than the DPU of 3.76 Singapore cents paid out in the year-ago period. Units of Keppel DC Reit closed at S$2.89 on Tuesday prior to the results announcement, up S$0.04 or 1.4 per cent.

Ascott Residence Trust (ART): The stapled hospitality group's distribution per stapled security (DPS) fell by 52 per cent to 1.99 Singapore cents for H2 2020 from 4.18 cents a year ago, reported its managers on Wednesday morning. This brings ART's DPS for the full year to 3.03 cents, down 60 per cent from its 2019 DPS of 7.61 cents and in line with its profit guidance issued on Jan 15. Stapled securities of ART closed 1.9 per cent or S$0.02 lower at S$1.03 on Tuesday, before the announcement.

Sheng Siong Group: The supermarket operator is giving eligible staff total bonuses of up to 16 months, inclusive of the annual wage supplement for 2020. The bumper bonus was to recognise that the company had "performed extremely well as compared to previous years" in 2020, on the back of elevated demand for its offerings due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shares of mainboard-listed Sheng Siong closed at S$1.59 on Tuesday, down S$0.06 or 3.6 per cent.

Bonvests Holdings: The mainboard-listed property group expects to record a loss for FY2020 due primarily to a decline in revenue resulting from the "adverse" impact of Covid-19, and will disclose further details regarding its performance when it announces its financial results next month. The counter ended Tuesday at 92 Singapore cents, down 1.5 cents or 1.6 per cent.

Zhongxin Fruit and Juice: The fruit juice manufacturer expects to report a net loss for the first half of FY2020 due to impairment of property, plant and equipment recognised by its subsidiaries relating to idle plant and machinery. Shares of Catalist-listed Zhongxin closed at 6.4 Singapore cents on Tuesday, up 3.3 cents or 106.5 per cent.

United Global: The lubricant manufacturer's wholly-owned subsidiary United Supply Chain (USC) has formed a joint-venture company with Latitude Shipping, in which USC owns a 45 per cent stake and Latitude Shipping the remaining 55 per cent. Shares of Catalist-listed United Global last traded at S$0.41 on Jan 8.