Australia Stocks Preview: BHP, Macquarie, Woodside, Woolworths

By Shani Raja

Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies whose shares may rise or fall in Australia. This preview includes news announced after markets closed yesterday. Prices are from yesterday's close unless otherwise stated.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index futures contract due in September gained 0.3 percent to 4,765 at 6:59 a.m. in Sydney. The Bank of New York Australia ADR Index rose 3.6 percent in New York.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 66.90 points, or 1.4 percent, to 4,750.80.

Mining shares: A measure of six metals traded on the London Metal Exchange dropped 1.4 percent. Zinc declined 0.8 percent, copper 0.9 percent and nickel 3.9 percent. Minara Resources Ltd. (MRE AU), Australia's second-largest nickel producer, lost 0.5 cents, or 0.5 percent, to A$1.065.

American depositary receipts of BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP AU), the world's largest mining company, advanced 3.1 percent to the equivalent of A$36.32 a share in New York, 8 cents lower than the A$36.40 close in Sydney.

Rio Tinto Group (RIO AU) added 42 cents, or 0.4 percent, to A$106.85.

Oil companies: Crude oil tumbled 4.8 percent to $91.15 a barrel in New York, the lowest settlement price since Feb. 7, on concern turmoil on Wall Street may weaken the global economy.

Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL AU), Australia's second-largest oil and gas producer, dropped A$1.64, or 3.2 percent, to A$50.36.

Financial stocks: Merrill Lynch & Co. led a 6.2 percent rally in the S&P 500 Financial Index, as expectations grew the Federal Reserve may rescue American International Group Inc. from collapse. The S&P 500 increased 20.9 points, or 1.8 percent, to 1,213.6.

Macquarie Group Ltd. (MQG AU), Australia's biggest securities company, dived A$2.66, or 6.7 percent, to A$36.80.

CFS Retail Property Trust (CFX AU): The shopping-center owner's rating was raised to ``buy'' from ``neutral'' at Merrill Lynch & Co. CFS was unchanged at A$2.14.

Ivanhoe Australia Ltd. (IVA AU): The Australian unit of billionaire Robert Friedland's Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. said it's seeking to start its first copper mine in the country within two years. Ivanhoe lost 1 cent, or 1 percent, to A$1.02.

Woolworths Ltd. (WOW AU): The retailer may buy all or some of Mitre 10 Australia Ltd., the nation's second-biggest hardware chain, the Australian Financial Review reported, without saying where it got the information. Woolworths advanced 14 cents, or 0.5 percent, to A$28.27.

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