re: MAY:speculation AAP buy back Today's Market News - Updated...

re: MAY:speculation AAP buy back Today's Market News - Updated 10/05/02
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock to watch Brought to you by AAP
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NAB - National Australia Bank Ltd - down 24 cents at $34.80.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
National Australia Bank will extend its share buyback plan by another $1 billion after announcing a record first half profit of $2.256 billion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SGT - Singapore Telecommunications Ltd - down one cent at $1.54.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Australia's second largest telco, SingTel owned Optus has posted an adjusted net loss of $402 million for the 12 months to March 31, 2002.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NCP - News Corp - up 17 cents at $12.15.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NCPDP - News Corp Preferred Scrip - up 14 cents at $10.35.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Shares in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp lifted after KirchPay TV finally filed for bankruptcy in Germany.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AMP - AMP Ltd - up 15 cents at $16.85.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial services giant AMP said it would sell the private asset management division of its Henderson Global Investors business for an undisclosed sum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
FOA - Foodland Associated Ltd - up 18 cents at $18.49.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Supermarket group Foodland Associated has reported a 26.7 per cent increase in third quarter sales from continuing operations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
MAY - Mayne Group Ltd - up 14 cents at $3.93.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayne shares rose 3.7 per cent as some quarters of the market speculated on the possibility it may announce a share buyback today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
WBC - Westpac Banking Corp - down eight cents at $16.20.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Westpac Banking Corp said the imminent $1.65 billion sale of its AGC consumer finance business will increase its net profit by at least $750 million.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AMC - Amcor Ltd - in trading halt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Amcor is poised to become one of the world's biggest packaging companies with the $2.875 billion acquisition of key assets from German giant Schmalbach-Lubeca AG.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SEV - Seven Network Ltd - down seven cents at $5.99.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Seven Network has scrapped its C7 Sport pay-TV channel, saying the service is no longer financially viable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SSX - Smorgon Steel Group Ltd - in trading halt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Smorgon Steel is looking to capitalise on recent strong demand for its shares, launching an equity rasing to pay down debt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AXN - Axon Instruments Inc - down four cents at 36.5 cents.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Shares in medical instruments maker Axon Instruments tumbled to an all-time low after the company said it expected a loss of $US3 million ($A5.57 million) to $US4 million ($A7.43 million) for the first six months to June 2002.
--------------------------------------------------------------------