The S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) is trading firmly higher, but shares of the following four companies are getting crushed.
- Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) – down 11.6%
Shares of dairy producer, Bega Cheese, took a tumble today after the group announced it would cease manufacturing Coles' home brand products in January 2017. In recent years, Australia's two major supermarket operators, Coles and Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW), have shifted supply towards their own private labels at the expense of independently labelled products, such as those produced by Bega Cheese. The company says it will offset the loss of Coles with a focus on some of its rapidly growing business lines such as infant formula and nutritionals.
- Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) – down 10%
Blackmores, the vitamins and wellness products producer, saw its shares swamped today. The $3 billion company did not release any material company-specific news to the market that could explain its price fall. Blackmores shares have risen 380% in the past year, driven by a wave of demand for its products in Asia. While analysts continue to forecast growth over coming years, investors may simply be taking some profits off the table.
- Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (ASX: LNG) – down 5%
LNG Ltd shares have been on a roller-coaster ride over the past 12 months. The prospective natural gas tolling facility owner saw its shares peak at $5 in May 2015, but shares are now worth just 60 cents. Today, the company released its quarterly cash flow report for the period ended 31 December 2015, showing $44 million net operating cash outflow. LNG Ltd had $114 million of cash in the bank at the reporting date. However, its prospective LNG facilities (it has one in Queensland and two in North America) will cost billions of dollars to construct and, therefore, the company remains highly speculative.
- Slater & Gordon Limited (ASX: SGH) – down 3.33%
Slater & Gordon shares have been rocked by accounting issues and media scrutiny following its disastrous acquisition of the Professional Services Division of UK-based Quindell Plc in 2015. Slater & Gordon today said 476,806 shares issued as part of its compensation for some of its smaller UK subsidiaries were today released from voluntary escrow. That means the business owners who received those shares could now sell them on the market.
