The following companies may have unusual price changes in Singapore trading today. Share prices are from the previous close. Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.3% to 3,173.57.

Bulk-shipping companies: The Baltic Dry Index, which measures the cost of shipping commodities, rose 0.3% in London on Oct. 22, its first advance in six days.

Cosco Corp. Singapore (COS SP), a China-based shipbuilder that also operates bulk carriers, dropped 1% to $1.94. STX Pan Ocean Co. (STX SP), South Korea’s biggest bulk carrier, lost 1.1% to $14.18.

Commodity suppliers: The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index, which tracks prices of 19 commodities from copper to corn, rose 0.6% in New York on Oct. 22.

Noble Group (NOBL SP), a Hong Kong-based commodities supplier, dipped 0.5% to $1.92. Olam International (OLAM SP), a Singapore-based supplier of agricultural commodities, was unchanged at $3.18.

Ezra Holdings (EZRA SP): The provider of offshore logistics services to the oil and gas industry, said it has agreed to buy Aker Marine Contractors, a marine engineering services provider, from Norway’s Aker Solutions ASA for US$250 million ($324 million). Ezra, which was suspended from trading on Oct. 22, fell 1.1% to $1.82 when it last traded on Oct. 21. The stock will resume trading today.

Frasers Commercial Trust (FCOT SP): The office landlord partly owned by Fraser & Neave Ltd. (FNN SP), said it will distribute 31 cents a share of its fourth-quarter income to shareholders, up 55% from a year earlier. Its shares were unchanged at 16.5 cents.

Golden Agri-Resources (GGR SP): The world’s second- biggest producer of palm oil had its rating raised to “buy” from “hold” at Deutsche Bank AG. The stock gained 0.8% to 66 cents.

Samudera Shipping Line (SAMU SP), the operator of regional container-shipping services, said third-quarter profit was US$6.3 million ($8.2 million), compared with a loss of US$4 million a year earlier. Its shares climbed 4.6% to 23 cents.

Singapore Exchange (SGX SP): The operator of the Singapore bourse plans to offer cash and stock worth about A$8.4 billion ($10.7 billion) to buy ASX, operator of the Australian stock exchange, said two people familiar with the matter. Singapore Exchange dropped 2.8% to $9.54 before trading was suspended on Oct. 22. Trading will resume at 10 a.m. in Singapore, an hour after the release of an announcement.

Total Access Communication Pcl (DTAC SP): Thailand’s second-biggest mobile-phone company said third-quarter net income rose to 3.06 billion baht ($132.4 million) from 1.63 billion baht a year earlier. The stock slipped 0.7% to US$1.36.

Australia’s competition watchdog effectively gave the Singapore Exchange (SGX) <SGXL.SI> a green light on Monday to pursue a takeover of Australian stock exchange operator ASX <ASX.AX>, saying it did not see any major concerns.

SGX is likely to offer as much as US$8.3 billion ($10.8 billion) for ASX in a statement expected as early as Monday, a source with knowledge of the deal told Reuters at the weekend.

“I think it’s a matter between the Singapore Exchange and the Australian Exchange, and I can’t see that raising competition issues for us,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chief Graeme Samuel told Australian radio.

“We’re much more focused on the potential for new competitors to enter into the Australian market in terms of stock exchange dealings.”

A marriage of the SGX, Asia’s second-biggest listed bourse, and the ASX, its third-largest, would mark Asia-Pacific’s first major consolidation of exchanges in a move designed partly to ward off the threat of alternative trading systems.

SGX is set to unveil an offer for as much as A$48 a share to take over ASX in a cash and stock bid, the source said, with around 43 percent to be made in cash and the rest in SGX shares.

SGX said late on Sunday that it would make an announcement on Monday. ASX made no immediate comment on the Reuters report.

The ASX is due to lose its effective domestic monopoly next year, with a new entrant, Europe’s Chi-X Australia Pty Ltd, expected to begin operation in 2011.

“We’re aware of course of Chi-X and moves that they’re making. And there are some issues there that we’re examining with the Australian Stock Exchange and with other parties, just to try and make sure that they have an easier way in to provide real competition for stock market trading in Australia,” Samuel said.