Stocks to Watch on Friday | Lianhe Zaobao

The market remains cautious about the geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran, digesting a series of mixed economic data. Overnight, U.S. stocks closed lower on Thursday (February 19). The NASDAQ index fell 0.31% to 22,682.73 points; the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.54% to 49,395.16 points; the S&P 500 index also declined 0.28% to 6,881.89 points. The FTSE Straits Times Index rose 62.98 points or 1.28% on Thursday, closing at 5,001.56 points. Investors continue to monitor developments in the Middle East, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) to be released by the U.S. later on Friday (20th), and the potential ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Trump's tariff policy. Here are the stocks to watch on Friday: United Hampshire US Reit announced a distribution per unit (DPU) of 2.3 cents (approximately 3 Singapore cents) for the second half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%, marking the third consecutive year of dividend growth; the full-year DPU increased by 8.1% to 4.39 cents. In the second half of last year, the trust's total revenue was $36.2 million, a slight decline of 0.3% compared to the same period last year, mainly due to the sale of three properties that no longer contributed rental income; net property income (NPI) increased by 2.3% to $25 million. Driven by new leases, rent increases on existing leases, and lower financing costs, the trust's distributable income rose by 8.9% to $14 million. An independent valuation report shows that the total valuation of the properties under the trust is $774.25 million. The trust's stock price rose by 0.91% on Thursday, closing at $0.56. Advanced Systems Automation announced on Thursday evening the termination of its conditional voluntary takeover offer for local semiconductor company ASTI Holdings, which was proposed last month. The company stated that, given the market environment, regulatory requirements, significant delays in the preliminary process, and multiple major corporate actions taken by ASTI since the announcement, it decided to halt the transaction. Advanced Systems Automation also disclosed that it has received an open letter from the Singapore Securities Investors Association (SIAS) regarding questions related to the voluntary takeover offer and related applications. After the termination of the transaction, the company will review these questions in due course. The company stated that the termination of the offer will not have a significant impact on its earnings per share and net tangible assets for the current fiscal year, nor will it affect the company's operations and strategy. Advanced Systems Automation's stock price closed at $0.005 on Thursday, up 25%. Sri Trang Agro-Industry reported a net loss of 12.657 billion Thai Baht (approximately 51.51 million Singapore dollars) for the fiscal year ending in 2025, with a net loss of 3.257 billion Thai Baht in the fourth quarter, primarily due to a decline in rubber prices triggered by U.S. reciprocal tariffs and one-time losses from the flooding in Songkhla at the end of last year The company stated that the disaster-affected facilities are eligible for insurance compensation, and the related compensation will be received this year. The annual revenue reached THB 113.478 billion, a slight decrease of 0.8% year-on-year; the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) was THB 4.0487 billion. The board proposed a dividend of THB 0.5 per share. The stock price of Si Dong Rubber rose 4.55% on Thursday, closing at THB 0.58. Singapore biopharmaceutical company iX Biopharma announced that it has received a research and development contract worth USD 40.95 million (approximately SGD 51.92 million) from the U.S. Department of Defense to fund the development of the company's patented sublingual ketamine tablets, which are used to treat moderate to severe acute pain. To fulfill the contract, iX Biopharma plans to issue new shares at a price of SGD 0.198 to raise SGD 6 million. The issuance price is 7.1% lower than the volume-weighted average price at the last closing. The company's stock price closed at SGD 0.205 on Thursday, down 2.38%. SIA Engineering released its third-quarter results for the fiscal year 2025-26 after the market closed on Thursday. The net profit for the third quarter was SGD 41.9 million, an increase of SGD 3.7 million year-on-year, with basic earnings per share of 3.74 cents. The demand for the group's maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services remained stable, with third-quarter revenue increasing by 8.7% year-on-year to SGD 353.1 million. The company's stock price closed at SGD 3.57, up 2.59%