Stocks to watch: UOB, Sabana Reit, ESR-Reit, Yoma Strategic, BRC Asia

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

UOB: The bank has secured more than S$3 billion of foreign direct investment into Vietnam in alliance with Vietnam's Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) and is facilitating an additional pipeline of more than S$1.5 billion under an expanded memorandum of understanding with FIA. UOB shares edged down S$0.01 or 0.04 per cent to close at S$23.06 on Friday.

City Developments Limited: The property group on Monday said it expects to fall into the red in 2020 with a full-year loss, compared to a profit in 2019. CDL shares rose S$0.03 or 0.4 per cent to finish Friday at S$7.87.

First Reit: It will restructure the master lease agreements of its 11 Indonesian hospital assets leased to former parent company Lippo Karawaci, the Reit's manager said on Sunday. First Reit units closed flat at 47.5 Singapore cents on Friday.

Sabana Shari'ah Compliant Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (Sabana Reit), ESR-Reit: Proxy advisers Glass Lewis and ISS have issued recommendations in favour of the resolutions up for voting at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting and scheme meeting of Sabana Reit and ESR-Reit on Dec 4, which includes unitholders voting for the proposed merger of the two Reits. Sabana Reit units closed unchanged at S$0.35 on Friday, while ESR-Reit units closed flat at 40.5 Singapore cents.

Yoma Strategic: The Myanmar-focused conglomerate on Monday said its real estate arm plans to develop its first suburban commercial property at StarCity, and a second project under the City Loft brand. Separately, the company's full-year net loss widened to US$60.5 million, from US$36.9 million a year ago. Yoma Strategic shares closed flat at 30.5 Singapore cents on Friday.

BRC Asia: The mainboard-listed steel dealer's full-year net profit fell 35.5 per cent to S$20.4 million from S$31.6 million a year earlier, amid disruptions due to Covid-19. Shares of BRC Asia closed S$0.01 or 0.7 per cent higher at S$1.39 on Friday, before the results were announced.

Biolidics: Shares of the Catalist-listed medtech firm rallied for a third consecutive day on Friday, advancing more than 20 per cent by the closing bell, after it announced it will distribute Covid-19 test kits in Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. Biolidics shares closed at S$0.38, up S$0.07 or 22.6 per cent.

Medtecs International: The company is working to expand its products beyond those serving medical purposes as the Covid-19 vaccine rollout could slow demand for personal protective equipment, executive director and chief executive William Yang told BT. Shares of Medtecs closed 0.5 Singapore cent or 0.5 per cent lower at 97 cents on Friday.

LHN: The real estate management services group's full-year net profit rose to S$24.1 million from S$8.2 million on the back of increases in gross profit and other income, it said on Friday. The counter ended at 16.3 Singapore cents on Friday before the announcement was made, down 0.3 cent or 1.8 per cent.

No Signboard Holdings: The Catalist-listed food and beverage group saw net loss double to S$9.8 million for its financial year ended Sept 30 on lower revenue, it said in an exchange filing on Sunday. No Signboard shares closed unchanged at 3.2 Singapore cents on Friday.