Australia Stocks: Macarthur, Newcrest, Riversdale Mining

Dec. 6 （Bloomberg） -- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.2 percent to 4,705.50 as of 10:19 a.m. in Sydney. .

The following were among the most active shares in the market today. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names.

Macarthur Coal Ltd. （MCC AU） gained 3.3 percent to A$12.53. The world’s largest producer of pulverized coal used in steelmaking said unseasonal heavy rain in Queensland’s Bowen Basin forced the company to declare force majeure on deliveries to customers, potentially limiting its liability.

Mirabela Nickel Ltd. （MBN AU） surged 5.9 percent to A$1.97. The nickel producer reported output for November and October and reaffirmed annual targets.

Myer Holdings Ltd. （MYR AU） slipped 0.6 percent to A$3.52. Chief Executive Officer Bernie Brookes said the decline in Australian retail sales is likely to continue, the Australian newspaper reported. Brookes, head of the nation’s biggest department store chain, said he thought sales in November would be even worse than the 1.1 percent decline recorded in October, according to the newspaper.

Newcrest Mining Ltd. （NCM AU）， Australia’s biggest gold producer, gained 1.5 percent to A$41.34. Gold futures topped $1,400 an ounce on Dec. 3 as the dollar’s slump boosted the appeal of precious metals as alternative investments.

Origin Energy Ltd. （ORG AU） slipped 1 percent to A$15.96. The Australian electricity and gas retailer said it will consider raising equity if the company buys assets from the New South Wales state government.

Riversdale Mining Ltd. （RIV AU） jumped 11 percent to A$15.59 after confirming talks with Rio Tinto Group to acquire Riverside at A$15 a share.