Healthcare stocks advanced nearly 2% at midday Thursday.

Ansell (ASX:ANN), whose shares fell nearly 6%, said Chief Executive Neil Salmon will retire after 13 years with the company. Nathalie Ahlstrom will succeed Salmon and will start a transition period on Jan. 26 before officially assuming the role on Feb. 16.

On the flip side, the materials sector fell 0.4%, as the price of gold and silver fell.

BlueScope Steel (ASX:BSL) rejected the unsolicited, non-binding, indicative, and conditional takeover proposal received from a consortium comprising SGH (ASX:SGH) and the US-listed Steel Dynamics. The Bluescope board unanimously rejected the takeover proposal on the basis that it "very significantly" undervalued the company.