Singapore’s benchmark Straits Times Index (.FTSTI) rose 0.18% to 2,839.54 points on yesterday. US stocks ended slightly higher last night, one year to the day after stocks fell to their worst close in more than 12 years, as gains in the telecom and industrial sectors offset falling commodity prices. Here are some stocks and factors to watch:

Indonesia’s Lippo Group has taken sole control of Singapore hotel operator Overseas Union Enterprise (OUE) (OVES.SI) after buying out its partner Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan in a deal valued at $957 million.

Building and construction group Lian Beng Group bagged a $144 million contract to build a condominium development located at Dakota Crescent. The design-and-build contract was awarded by UOL Development (Dakota) Pte Ltd, and covers the construction of 616 apartment units within three 19-storey blocks, four 20-storey blocks, and a six-storey carpark building with a roof garden, swimming pool, and other facilities. Work is expected to start next month and be completed by March 2013.

Pteris Global, the provider of airport logistics systems, made a successful bid to design, supply and install a complete Baggage Handling System for Changsha Huanghua International Airport, China. The project is scheduled to start in April 2010 and is expected to be completed in May 2011. The company said it is currently negotiating the terms of the contract.

Aztech Electronics, the broadband and home networking products manufacturer, said it won a major contract win to supply more than 180,000 units of 85Mbps HomePlug to a leading satellite television provider in North America. The HomePlugs will be delivered to the customer in the first half of this year.

Anwell Technologies (ANTE.SI), a manufacturer and supplier of manufacturing equipment for optical and solar cells, said it has obtained Singapore Exchange approval for a non-underwritten rights issue of up to 50.9 million shares. The firm plans to offer shareholders one new share for every five held at $0.36 apiece.

Singapore resorts and spa operator Banyan Tree (BANY.SI) said it has filed a petition to wind up its former partner in Bahrain and recover a debt of $1.12 million. Banyan Tree had signed an agreement with Al Areen Desert Spa and Resorts in 2005 to manage a resort in the Middle Eastern country.

Stratech Systems said that the iFerret, intelligent Airfield/Runway Surveillance and FOD (Foreign Object and Debris) Detection System, has won the Innovation Award at the ATC Global 2010 being held in Amsterdam.

LMA international NV said that its subsidiary, LMA North America, Inc., has signed an Exclusive Distributor Agreement with Hypnoz Therapeutic Devices, Inc. The agreement appoints LMA North America as the exclusive distributor in the US of the JEDTM-Jaw Elevation Device.

Falmac Limited said that it had entered into a sale and purchase agreement on March 8 with the vendors of CNMC Goldmine Limited to purchase from the vendors shares that will represent the entire issued share capital in CNMC for a purchase consideration of $150 million which shall be satisfied in full by the allotment and issue of 375 million new ordinary shares in the capital of the company to the vendors at an issue price of 40 cents per share.