STOCKS to watch on the Australian stock exchange Friday, February 22
AAD - ARDENT LEISURE GROUP - down 11.5 cents at $1.475
Ardent Leisure has boosted its half year profit by 11 per cent, largely thanks to its newly acquired health clubs and entertainment centres in the US.
ABC - ADELAIDE BRIGHTON LTD - up eight cents at $3.36
Cement maker Adelaide Brighton expects a slow recovery in residential building to offset any slowdown in mining construction.
AMP - AMP LTD - down two cents at $5.42
Financial services firm AMP has lifted its annual profit by two per cent as it continues to benefit from its merger with AXA Asia Pacific.
APN - APN NEWS & MEDIA LTD - steady at 27 cents
The week has gone from bad to worse for APN News and Media as the trans-Tasman publisher reported a massive full year loss amid further writedowns on its newspaper assets.
ASX - ASX LTD - down $1.26 at $35.76
Share market operator ASX's first half profit has fallen by 2.5 per cent due to lower investor activity in the first three months of the 2012/13 financial year.
AWC - ALUMINA LTD - down 3.5 cents at $1.215
Alumina's full year net losses have blown out and the troubled aluminium producer is bracing itself for more uncertainty ahead.
BXB - BRAMBLES INDUSTRIES LTD - up eight cents at $8.59
Pallet supplier Brambles has maintained its growth forecasts as it looks to expand in central and eastern Europe after posting a 26 per cent increase in first half profit.
EGP - ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LTD - down one cent at $3.47
Casinos operator Echo Entertainment Group says building a new integrated casino resort in Brisbane could cost around $1 billion.
CAB - CABCHARGE LTD - down 35 cents at $4.78
Cabcharge has delivered a big lift in first half profit but its shares tumbled as the results were below under market expectations.
FXJ - FAIRFAX MEDIA LTD - down 1.5 cents at 53 cents
Fairfax Media has signalled it will chase even deeper cost cuts after reporting a fall in underlying first-half earnings and warning poor advertising spending will continue to drag on revenue.
IAG - INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LTD - up 15 cents at $5.57
Insurance Australia Group (IAG) has raised its performance targets for the full year after fewer natural disasters contributed to a sharp rise in its first half profit.
ILU - ILUKA RESOURCES LTD - down 15 cents at $10.20
Iluka Resources is confident of a recovery in the mineral sands industry this year but it won't come quickly enough to save 200 jobs it has decided to axe
ORG - ORIGIN ENERGY LTD - down $1.05 at $11.33
Energy producer and retailer Origin Energy predicts profits will fall further than expected in the second half as it moves to slash 850 jobs.
PPX - PAPERLINX LTD - down 0.5 cents at 9.2 cents
Stationery company Paperlinx has announced a first half loss of $57.3 million due to weak market conditions.
QAN - QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD - up 4.5 cents at $1.66
Qantas' key domestic operations have suffered a steep drop in first half earnings as the battle for market share forces down airfares.
TLS - TELSTRA CORPORATION - down six cents at $4.50
Telstra is axing 648 jobs from its troubled Sensis division, which runs Yellow Pages, White Pages and Trading Post.
TTS - TATTS GROUP LTD - down six cents at $3.25
Lotteries and wagering operator Tatts Group says its online operations are growing strongly, and it is looking at further opportunities in that area.
VRL - VILLAGE ROADSHOW LTD - steady at $4.52
Village Roadshow says it's cashing in on people's willingness to indulge in a little pleasure, after posting an 18 per cent lift in half year profit.
WHC - WHITEHAVEN COAL LTD - down 19 cents at $2.94
Whitehaven Coal chairman Mark Vaile insists the miner's growth plans are on track despite a bad year culminating in the resignation of respected chief executive Tony Haggarty.
WOW - WOOLWORTHS LTD - down 43 cents at $33.85
Woolworths has questioned calls for more supermarket regulation as the competition watchdog signals a renewed focus on market power.
