Australia Stocks: APN, Coeur, Lihir, St. George, WorleyParsons

By Shani Raja

Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The S&P/ASX 200 Index advanced 4.60 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,030.70 at 10:20 a.m. in Sydney. The broader All Ordinaries Index declined 0.2 points to 5,069.10, while the futures index expiring in September lost 0.1 percent to 5,016.

Gold producers: Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM AU) slumped A$1.61, or 6.6 percent, to A$22.64, the lowest since Sept. 6, 2007. Lihir Gold Ltd. (LGL AU) plunged 16 cents, or 7.1 percent, to A$2.11, the lowest since Feb. 21, 2006.

Gold futures for December delivery dropped $36.50, or 4.2 percent, to $828.30 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest closing price for a most- active contract since Dec. 24. A measure of six metals including copper and zinc fell 1 percent in London.

APN News & Media Ltd. (APN AU), the publisher of more than 100 newspapers in Australia and New Zealand, dropped 18 cents, or 5.2 percent, to A$3.27, among the benchmark's ten biggest losers. APN said first-half profit declined as slower economic growth forced companies to cut back on advertising.

Bendigo & Adelaide Bank Ltd. (BEN AU), an Australian regional lender, rose for a second day, adding 37 cents, or 3.2 percent, to A$11.78, the highest since June 16, after saying full-year profit increased 40 percent after gaining new customers.

Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. (CXC AU), the biggest decliner on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Gold and Silver Index this year, tumbled 40 cents, or a record 17 percent, headed for a record low A$2.01. The company, whose shares slumped 9.4 percent in Sydney yesterday, plunged the most in six years in New York after earnings missed estimates and metal prices fell. Coeur was the biggest loser on the S&P/ASX 200 Index.

St. George Bank Ltd. (SGB AU), which has agreed to be bought by Westpac Banking Corp., gained 79 cents, or 2.6 percent, to A$31.02, the highest since June 2. St. George said profit will grow after it avoided the credit-market turmoil that wiped $66 billion off the value of the nation's biggest banks this year.

WorleyParsons Ltd. (WOR AU), Australia's biggest engineering company, rose A$1.21, or 3.6 percent, to A$34.66, poised for its highest close since July 2, after saying full-year profit rose 53 percent on acquisitions and increased demand from the energy and mining industries.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shani Raja in Sydney at sraja4@bloomberg.net.