July 27: APB, Sheng Siong, Hup Soon Global, HPH Trust, Lian Beng, Osim, CapitaMalls Asia

Singapore stocks may rise as ECB hints about action.

Singapore share prices ended 0.5% higher on Thursday. The blue-chip Straits Times Index gained 13.65 points to close at 3,004.57. In the broader market, 1.46 billion shares changed hands. Gainers narrowly edged losers 182 to 175.

Here are some stocks and factors to watch:

Dutch brewer Heineken has agreed to extend a takeover offer for shares in Tiger Beer-maker Asia Pacific Breweries by one week, Singapore conglomerate Fraser and Neave said on Friday.

Sheng Siong Group, one of the largest supermarket chains in Singapore, reported a net profit of $7 million for the second quarter ended 30 June 2012 (2QFY2012), down 2% from a year ago (2QFY2011) due to lower gross profit margin and higher operating expenses.

Parkson Retail Asia said it has agreed to acquire a 41.8% stake, or a total of 60.63 million shares in Colombo Stock Exchange-listed Odel PLC, a leading lifestyle fashion brand and retailer in Sri Lanka, for LKR1,424.7 million ($13.6 million) or LKR23.50 per share.

Catalist-listed Hup Soon Global Corporation has received a mandatory unconditional cash offer of 10 cents each for all its issued and paid-up ordinary shares from Spei Holdings. Similarly, Spei plans to make an offer of 60 sen for each share Hup Soon’s subsidiary, HSG Investments, holds in Yokohama Industries Berhad. Spei does not intend to maintain the listing of Hup Soon on the Singapore Exchange.

Singapore’s manufacturing output grew 7.6% in June 2012 year-on-year. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output fell 1.5%. The rise in June industrial output was primarily due to pharmaceuticals, which rose 68.7% year-on-year.

Stats ChipPAC, the semiconductor test and advanced packaging service provider, said earnings for the second quarter ended June 24, 2012 (2Q2012) was US$8.92 million ($11.2 million) compared to US$19.23 million a year earlier (2Q2011).

Lian Beng Group, the construction group, reported an 8.1% increase in earnings to $51.8 million for its financial year months ended 31 May 2012 (FY2012).

Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (HPH Trust) has posted earnings of HK$580.3 million ($93.8 million) for the 2Q ended June 30 (2QFY2012), 0.4% above the same quarter a year ago (2QFY2011). It has declared an interim Distribution Per Unit (DPU) of HK24.05 cents for the 2QFY2012. This is in alignment with the projection in its IPO prospectus.

Osim International, the manufacturer of high-tech massage chairs, said it posted a 20% increase in profit after tax to $23 million for the 2Q ending June 30 (2Q2012) from $19 million in the previous month (1Q2012).

CapitaMalls Asia posted profit after tax and minority interests (PATMI) of $232 million for 2Q 2012, an increase of 40.7% from the $164.9 million for 2Q 2011.

CDL Hospitality Trusts said its second-quarter income distributed per stapled security rose 10.2% to 2.92 cents from a year earlier, boosted by a growth in revenue per available room for its Singapore hotels.