Australia Stocks: Aquarius, BHP, Rio Tinto, Santos, Transfield

By Shani Raja

Nov. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The S&P/ASX 200 Index extended yesterday's 4.3 percent decline, slumping 174.80 points, or 4.2 percent, to 3,974.90 at 11:45 a.m. in Sydney. The broader All Ordinaries Index lost 167.10 points, or 4.1 percent, to 3,939.40, while the futures index expiring in December fell 5.1 percent to 4,001.

Mining stocks: BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP AU), the world's largest mining company, tumbled for the second day, falling A$2.24, or 7.7 percent, to A$26.96, the most in more than two weeks. Rio Tinto Group (RIO AU) plunged A$8.29, or 11 percent, to A$70.75.

Panoramic Resources Ltd. (PAN AU), an Australian nickel producer that supplies BHP, slumped 14 cents, or 11 percent, to A$1.12, the benchmark's fifth-biggest loser.

A measure of six metals traded on the London Metal Exchange dropped 5.1 percent. Copper lost 6.5 percent, nickel 7.3 percent, and zinc 7 percent.

Oil companies: Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL AU), Australia's second-biggest oil producer, declined A$2.62, or 6.1 percent, to A$40.05, the most in almost a month. Santos Ltd. (STO AU) slipped 60 cents, or 4.2 percent, to A$13.67.

Crude oil fell to a 19-month low on signs fuel demand will contract as the global economy slows. Crude for December delivery fell $4.59, or 7 percent, to $60.71 a barrel at the 2:30 p.m. close of floor trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Atlas Iron Ltd. (AGO AU), an Australian iron ore producer which started operations at its Pardoo mine last month, tumbled 7 cents, or 8.6 percent, to 69 cents. Atlas was this week downgraded to ``sector perform'' from ``outperform'' by analyst Lee Bowers at RBC Capital Markets.

CBH Resources Ltd. (CBH AU), an Australian base metals producer backed by Japan's Toho Zinc Co., fell 1 cent, or 8.6 percent, to 5 cents, the most since Oct. 30. CBH said it will further reduce zinc and lead ore production at its Endeavor mine, while cutting staffing levels by half to 115.

Macarthur Coal Ltd. (MCC AU), the world's biggest exporter of pulverized coal, slumped for the second day, dropping 78 cents, or 11 percent, to A$6.12, the most since Oct. 16. The stock's price-target was cut to A$12.34 from A$17.01 by Morgan Stanley.

ResMed Inc. (RMD AU), the world's second-biggest maker of machines for breathing-related sleep disorders, slumped 32 cents, or 6.1 percent, to A$4.95, the most since Oct. 10 and the biggest loser on the S&P/ASX 300 Health Care Index of 14 stocks. The company said first-quarter profit rose 16 percent to $28 million.

Transfield Services Ltd. (TSE AU), an Australian provider of maintenance services to miners and utilities, tumbled 83 cents, or 18 percent, to A$3.77, the most since May 16. Chief Executive Officer Peter Watson is leaving the company after eight years service, with a performance-linked bonus potentially of A$800,000 and no immediate successor.

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