Stocks to watch: Leader Environmental Tech, OCBC, Tan Chong, SPH, Creative

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

LS9: The environmental services provider said late on Thursday that its executive chairman and chief executive Lin Yucheng and deputy chief technology officer Guo Chenghong were required to surrender their travel documents to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) as part of an insider trading probe. The CAD has also seized certain electronic devices belonging to Dr Lin and Dr Guo. Shares of LET were trading 3.5 per cent or 0.4 Singapore cent lower at 11 cents before a trading halt called on Thursday afternoon. The company has since called for trading to resume.

O39: The lender announced on Thursday that it has launched the second phase of the OCBC Future Smart Programme, a suite of sustainability training modules intended to groom more subject experts within the bank. OCBC will invest S$30 million in the programme over the next three years for all 30,000 employees across the group. Shares of OCBC closed down 1.3 per cent or S$0.15 at S$11.74 on Thursday.

T15: The auto dealer, in a statement on Thursday, said that it sees an after-tax profit of HK$60 million (S$10.5 million) for the half-year ended June, swinging from a HK$46 million loss for the corresponding period a year ago. In its guidance statement filed with the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong where it is listed, Tan Chong International also flagged a possible unaudited unrealised loss on its investments designated as at fair value through other comprehensive income. Shares of the company closed flat at HK$2.06 on Thursday, before the profit guidance was issued.

T39: The media and property group named Yeoh Oon Jin as an independent director on Thursday, with his appointment starting today. Mr Yeoh will sit on the executive committee and the audit committee, said SPH, the publisher of The Business Times, on Thursday. Shares of SPH closed at S$1.75, down 1.7 per cent or S$0.03 on Thursday.

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C76: The technology company's subsidiary C L Realty announced on Thursday that it has entered into an agreement to sell a two-storey office building used by its units in the US for US$11.1 million. The price was arrived at after property prices in the surrounding area were considered. The sale will contribute US$9.1 million to the group's net profit, after accounting for the net book value of the property of US$600,000 and estimated expenses and taxes relating to the proposed transaction. On Thursday, shares of Creative closed at S$2.50, down 1.6 per cent or S$0.04.

Trading halt: Fragrance Group (F31) on Friday morning requested a trading halt, pending the release of an announcement. Shares of the mainboard-listed property player on Thursday closed at 11.8 Singapore cents, up 0.2 cent or 1.7 per cent.