Stocks to Watch on Thursday | Lianhe Zaobao

Boosted by the news of a two-week temporary ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran, global stock markets rose on Wednesday (April 8), rekindling expectations for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. The S&P 500 index rose by 2.51%, with 10 of the 11 major sectors closing higher, led by industrials and communication services, while energy was the only sector to decline; the NASDAQ index increased by 2.8%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 2.85%. The Straits Times Index in Singapore closed up 38.04 points or 0.77% on Wednesday, ending at 4,996.05 points. However, shortly after, Iranian Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that less than a day after the agreement was reached and negotiations had not yet begun, three of the ten ceasefire terms proposed by Iran had already been violated, including Israel's cessation of attacks on Lebanon. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris remarked that the U.S. never committed to including Lebanon in the ceasefire agreement and urged Iran not to let this lead to the collapse of the ceasefire. This posed a challenge to the already fragile ceasefire agreement, causing U.S. stock index futures to fluctuate, while oil prices recovered some of their losses from Wednesday. As of the time of publication, Brent crude oil futures rose by 2.63% to $97.24 per barrel. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve maintained its target interest rate range unchanged at the March meeting. The minutes from the March monetary policy meeting released on Wednesday also indicated significant divisions among Fed officials regarding monetary policy expectations. Most officials expressed concerns that the ongoing war could impact the job market, advocating for interest rate cuts; however, many others emphasized inflation risks, suggesting the need for rate hikes. Here are some stocks to watch on Thursday (April 9): Precision parts manufacturer InnoTek has signed an agreement with Malayan Banking Berhad Securities to place up to approximately 24.6 million new shares at a price of SGD 0.6506 per share, raising about SGD 16 million. The net proceeds of approximately SGD 15.4 million will primarily be used for mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and expanding operations in Southeast Asia, as well as general working capital. After the placement, the new shares will account for approximately 9.54% of the enlarged total share capital. Meanwhile, the company's president, Low Yih Liang, will sell 6.15 million shares of common stock he personally holds at the same price. He stated that this move is part of personal financial planning and committed not to reduce his holdings again within six months after the completion. The company has also applied to resume trading on Thursday. The stock price closed at SGD 0.74 on Wednesday, unchanged. Geo Energy Resources announced that it has placed and issued 750,000 new ordinary shares in line with the company's stock option plan, which is expected to be listed and traded starting at 9 a.m. on Friday (April 10). Upon completion, the total number of issued shares will increase to approximately 1.74523 billion shares. The company's stock price closed down 2.73% to SGD 0.54 on Wednesday. Singtel repurchased 5,207,300 shares on April 8 under its SGD 2 billion share buyback plan, with prices ranging from SGD 4.96 to SGD 4.99 per share, totaling approximately SGD 25.95 million. The company's stock price closed at SGD 4.96, unchanged. Samudera Shipping Line announced the launch of a new weekly container shuttle service (KJS) connecting Nagoya and Kobe in Japan with Busan in South Korea, marking the company's entry into the Japan-Korea trade route and expanding its internal network in Asia to Northeast Asia The company pointed out that the launch of this route is driven by customer demand, and there is already a committed cargo volume to support this service. The company's stock price closed up 1.91%, at HKD 1.07. Hong Lai Huat's subsidiary HSCH Capital Co. has obtained approval from the Cambodian Ministry of Mines to extend its marble mining license for two years until the 2028 fiscal year. This will enable the company to continue operations and gradually expand capacity and exports. In the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, the company has exported over 300 containers, with business progressing steadily. The group also stated that it will closely monitor challenges such as the situation in the Middle East while collaborating with subcontractors and relevant stakeholders to ensure robust and sustainable business development. The group's stock price closed up 2.38%, at HKD 0.086. Precision engineering manufacturer CDW Holding disclosed that the company has incurred pre-tax losses in the last three complete fiscal years. The stock price closed at HKD 0.089, unchanged. For more information on the Singapore stock market, please click here