KLCI falls as eurozone woes grip global markets

KUALA LUMPUR (May 9): The FBM KLCI fell on Wednesday as concerns over the economic and political direction of several eurozone countries kept regional and global investors on tenterhooks.

The FBM KLCI lost 5.70 points to close at 1,584.90, weighed down by losses at blue chips.

Losers outpaced gainers by 450 to 273, while 313 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.28 billion shares valued at RM1.42 billion.

Asian bourses were mired in the red as Greece struggled to form a government two days after an election, heightening the risk that a hard-won bailout deal could be scrapped, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, European shares edged lower on Wednesday as a technical rebound from four-month lows was offset by falls among Spanish banks, which were dragged by fears they would be forced to raise money to cover their property assets, said Reuters.

Technical momentum was supportive after key indexes in the US and Europe closed above support levels on Tuesday, sending a bullish short-term signal despite still-depressed market sentiment as a political impasse in Greece threatened to deepen the eurozone crisis, it said.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.65% to 2,408.59, Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 1.49% to 9,045.06, Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.93% to 7,475.71, South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.85% to 1,950.29, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 0.75% to 20,330.64 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 1.06% to 2,900.91.

On Bursa Malaysia, BAT fell 64 sen to RM55.04, Petronas Dagangan and HLFG lost 24 sen each to RM19.70 and RM11.94, MISC 13 sen to RM4.46, PPB, MMHE and Aeon 12 sen each to RM16.60, RM4.88 and RM9.75 respectively, MSM 11 sen to RM5.20, IJM Corp 10 sen to RM5.44 and BLD PLANTATION []s fell nine sen to RM8.81.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 80.2 million shares done. The stock was unchanged at 49 sen.

Other actives included Ingenuity Solutions, Metronic, Permaju, Harvest Court, Focus, Ariantec, Astral Supreme and CBSA.

Gainers included Tahps, GCE, GAB, Panasonic, Nadayu, YHS, KGB, Ajinomoto, Tasek and Sunway.



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KLCI up more than 23 points week-on-week

KUALA LUMPUR (May 4): The FBM KLCI rose 23.24 points week-on-week, and was among the better performers compared with its regional peers on Friday.

The FBM KLCI rose 7.87 points to close at 1,691.04 on Friday, lifted by gains at blue chips including Petronas Dagangan, Tenaga, Genting and AirAsia.

Gainers outpaced losers by 456 to 274, while 352 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.33 billion shares valued at RM1.59 billion.

Asian shares were mixed for a second successive day on Friday as another batch of lacklustre U.S. data stoked concerns that the recovery in the world's biggest economy is faltering, according to Reuters.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.49% to 2,452.01, Taiwan’s taiex added 0.54% to 7,700.95, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.77% to 21,086.00, South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.30% to 1,989.15 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was closed for a national holiday.

Meanwhile, European shares opened lower and industrial commodities like oil and copper were weak on Friday on concerns about the health of the world's biggest economy before a reading on the strength of the U.S. jobs market, said Reuters.

Weekend elections in France and Greece, which could complicate efforts to resolve the euro zone debt crisis, were also weighing on sentiment, leaving the euro steady against the dollar at around $1.3150 and debt markets little changed, it said.

On Bursa Malaysia, Nestle was the top gainer on Friday and rose 40 sen to RM55.90, Allianz, Aeon and Petronas Dagangan added 20 sen each to RM4.75, RM10 and RM19.50 respectively, Coastal Contracts 19 sen to RM2.13, SAM Engineering 18 sen to RM3.20, Tenaga and MBM Resources up 15 sen each to RM6.60 and RM5.24, while Maybulk and Genting rose 14 sen each to RM1.79 and RM10.64.

AirAsia was among the actively traded counters with 14.45 million shares done. The stock added four sen to RM3.64.

Other actives included Ariantec, Glomac, Maybulk, Astral Supreme, Metronic and Jotech.

Decliners on Friday included Knusford, Southern Acids, Cepco, Asia File, Ireka, Takaful, Hoover, Nakamichi, Aeon Credit and Lafarge Malayan Cement.



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KLCI stays in the black at mid-day, blue chips lead

KUALA LUMPUR (May 4): The FBM KLCI rose higher at the mid-day break on Friday, going against the general trend at most global markets, which remained tepid U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as economic data sent mixed signals on the recovery a day before the April payrolls report.

The FBM KLCI rose 6.48 points to 1,589.65 at 12.3pm, lifted by gains at select blue chips including BAT, AirAsia, Petronas Dagangan and Hong Leong bank.

Gainers outpaced losers by 383 to 216, while 334 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 694.69 million shares valued at RM644.21 million.

The ringgit weakened 0.17% to 3.0378, crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery rose RM24 per tonne to RM3,376, crude oil added 13 cents per barrel to US$102.67 while godl fell 66 cents an ounce to US$1,635.32.

Asian shares fell for a second successive day on Friday as another batch of lacklustre U.S. data stoked concerns that the recovery in the world's biggest economy is faltering, according to Reuters.

The euro was steady after a bumpy session on Thursday, when European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi gave a more upbeat assessment of the region's battered economy, reducing hopes of further monetary stimulus measures in the pipeline, it said.

At the regional markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.73% to 21,094.10, the Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.10% to 2,442.56, Taiwan’s taiex lost 0.48% to 7,696.07, south Korea’s Kospi was down 0.41% to 1,986.90 and singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.23% to 2,993.93.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was closed for a national holiday.

On Bursa Malaysia, BAT jumped RM1.74 to RM56.98, Panasonic gaine 28 sen to RM23.30, Petronas Dagangan and Aeon 20 sen each to RM19.50 and RM10, Hong Leong Bank 18 sen to RM12.44, Maybulk 14 sen to RM1.79, Coastal Contracts 13 sen to RM2.07, whiel MPHB, Hartalega and Orient added 10 sen each to RM2.96, RM7.95 and RM6.78 respectively.

Menwhile, AirAsia, which was among the most actively traded counters, gained seven sen to RM3.67.

Other actives included Ariantec, Maybulk, Astral Supreme, Naim Indah Corp and Benalec.

Decliners this morning included Dutch Lady, Knusford, SAB, Asia File, Takaful, Hoover, LPI Capital, Cepco and Ireka.



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KLCI opens higher, blue chips lead

KUALA LUMPUR (May 4): The FBM opened higher on Friday, lifted by gains at select blue chips.

The FBM KLCI rose 2.96 points to 1,586.13 at 9am.

Gainers led losers by 84 to 38 while 74 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 19.99 million shares valued at RM21.55 million.

Meanwhile, global stocks and crude oil fell on Thursday after data showing tepid growth in the U.S. services sector raised concerns about the economic recovery a day before a highly anticipated labor market report for April, according to Reuters.

Stocks turned lower, government debt pared losses and the U.S. dollar trimmed gains against the yen after the Institute for Supply Management said its services sector index fell to 53.5 in April from 56.0 the previous month, it said.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as economic data sent mixed signals on the recovery a day before the April payrolls report, while shares of Green Mountain plunged after poor results.

Slower-than-expected growth in the dominant U.S. services sector drove the day's trading. The retail sector dragged the market lower after several chains, including Target Corp and Gap Inc, fell after missing April sales estimates.

MIDF Research in a note Friday said bot its own and consensus FBM KLCI earnings growth for this year were expected to be at around mid-teens, i.e. 16.2% and 16.6% respectively, supported by (i) decent organic earnings growth performance, as well as (ii) absence of lumpy abnormal losses.

“Furthermore, we believe the current liquidity-driven rally has not yet ended despite recent difficulty of the KLCI to sustain itself above the 1,600 points levels,” it said.

The research house said that with the risk-on mood still prevailing on Wall Street, as attested by the main benchmark which is stealthily approaching its pre-2008 highs, it may eventually help the markets in this region to resume their upward momentum.

“Hence we expect to see further upside to the local market with an “encore rally” in the coming months.

“We reiterate both our year-high as well as year-end 2012 KLCI base case targets of 1,670 points and 1,600 points respectively,” it said.

On Bursa Malaysia, Aeon led the gainers and rose 40 sen to RM10.20, Petronas Dagangan and Top Glove gained 20 sen each to RM19.50 and RM4.70, Orient 12 sen to RM6.80, Petronas Chemicals 10 sen RM6.65, Genting eight sen to RM10.58, Lafarge Malayan Cement and MMC Corp up sen each to RM7.39 and RM2.78, and KLK six sen to RM23.78.



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KLCI rises 0.7% on positive external factors

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): The FBM KLCI rose more than 0.7% on Wednesday, advancing in line with the firm gains at key regional markets following positive data coming out from the US.

Asian shares rose and the dollar recovered against the yen on Wednesday after strong U.S. factory activity data raised hopes that the world's biggest economy remained on a recovery track while growth in Asian manufacturing improved broader sentiment, according to Reuters.

European shares were expected to open mixed, with most exchanges reopening after the May Day holiday on Tuesday. Financial spreadbetters predicted that major European markets, it said.

The FBM KLCI rose 0.75% to close 11.78 points higher at 1,582.39 on Wednesday, lifted by gains including at Genting-related counters.

Gainers beat losers by 458 to 281, while 288 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.33 billion shares valued at RM1.43 billion.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.76% to 2,438.44, Hong Kong’ Hang Seng Index added 1.02% to 21,309.08, Taiwan’s Taiex Jumped 2.33% to 7,676.81, South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.86% to 1,999.07, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 0.31% to 9,380.25 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose

On Bursa Malaysia, Genting was the top gainer and rose 32 sen to RM10.66, Aeon Credit added 30 sen to RM11, Aeon was up 29 sen to RM9.80, Orient 25 sen to RM6.67, Takaful 21 sen to RM4.17, Metrod,Tasek and Genting PLANTATION []s added 20 sen each to RM2, RM8.87 and RM9.60 respectively, Cybertowers 19. 5 sen to RM1.16 while Lafarge Malayan Cement was up 19 sen to RM7.38.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 84.41 million shares done. The stock was up six sen to 51.5 sen.

Other actives included Utopia, Ariantec, Metronic, Astral Supreme, BIMB, AWC and Hubline.

Decliners included BAT, Shell, BLD Plantations, Y&G, Top Glove, Cepco, Milux MISC and JT International.



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KLCI rises at mid-day break, but struggles to breach 1,580-level

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): the FBM KLCI rose at the mid-day break on Wednesday in line with the gains at its regional peers, but struggled to cross the crucial 1,580-point mark.

The 30-stock index rose 7.79 points to 1,578.40 at the mid-day break.

Gainers led losers by 315 to 243, while 290 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 680.87 million shares valued at RM542.98 million.

The ringgit strengthened 0.23% to 3.0219 versus the US dollar; crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery rose RM1 per tonne to RM3,445, crude oil fell 22 cents per barrel to US$105.94 and gold lost US$3.25 an ounce to US$1,659.18.

Asian shares edged higher and the dollar recovered against the yen on Wednesday after strong U.S. factory activity data raised hopes that the world's biggest economy remained on a recovery track, according to Reuters.

Factory order data released on Wednesday by Asia's key exporters Taiwan and South Korea showed manufacturing activity grew but at a slower pace, while China's HSBC final PMI reading for April came in slightly above last week's flash PMI, it said.

At the regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.38% to 9,386.28, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was gained 1.14% 21,335.60, the Shanghai Composite Index was up 1.58% to 2,434.09, Taiwan’s Taiex jumped 2.11% to 7,660.13, South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.77% to 1,997.32 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.50% to 2,993.60.

On Bursa Malaysia, Aeon Credit was the top gainer at the mid-dat break and rose 32 sen to RM11.02, Takaful up 29 sen to RM4.25, Orient 25 sen to RM6.67, Aeon 19 sen to RM9.70, Genting 18 sen to RM10.52, Tasek 16 sen to RM8.83, Harrisons 15 sen to RM3.23, Cyber Towers 13.5 sen to RM1.10 and BIMB 12 sen to RM2.66.

Utopia was the most actively traded counter with 59.62 million shares done. The stock was unchanged at 8.5 sen.

Other actives included Hubline, BIMB, Naim Indah Corp, Astral Supreme, AWC, Focus and Ariantec.

Decliners included BAT, Dutch Lady, Y&G, Country View, Cepco, PPB, Top Glove, Milux, Shell and UMS.



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KLCI eases on fundamental and technical weakness

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24) : Malaysian shares recoup losses, albeit, still in the red on Tuesday morning on weaker fundamental and technical indicators.

Analysts said the near-term outlook for the FBM KLCI is less optimistic after taking into account weaker economic data from the US, China and Europe. In Malaysia, pre-election sentiment has also not helped the local equities benchmark, they said.

“Coupled with overnight losses on Wall Street and Europe markets, and a possible massive Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28, KLCI is likely to face further sell down in the next few days,” Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd wrote in a note.

At 10am, the FBM KLCI fell 2.86 points to 1,580.94. Across the exchange, some 383 million shares worth RM206 million were traded, leading to 51 gainers versus 204 decliners.

Top gainers United PLANTATION []s Bhd added 50 sen to RM26 while Aeon Co (M) Bhd was up 48 sen to RM9.68.

Among decliners, PETRONAS DAGANGAN BHD [] fell 42 sen to RM19.12 while PETRONAS GAS BHD [] was down 10 sen to RM16.80.

Most active was INGENUITY SOLUTIONS BHD [] which added 0.5 sen to 10 sen with some 46 million shares done.

Among Asian bourses, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7% to 9,474.91 points, South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.4% to 1,964.79, while Australia’s S&P/ ASX 200 rose 0.31% to 4,366.1.



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KLCI struggles but stays above 1,580-level

KUALA LUMPUR (APRIL 23): The FBM KLCI struggled to remain above the important 1,580-level on Monday after having succumbed more than 8 points to fall below the 1,590-level.

Asian shares trended lower as political developments in France and the Netherlands raised fears about the region's commitment to tackle its ongoing debt crisis, according to Reuters.

The FBM KLCI lost 8.05 points to close at 1,583.80, weighed by losses including at CIMB, Genting, BAT, Tenaga, Telekom and RHB Capital.

Europe's top shares opened lower on Monday on the political concerns, but attention was expected to switch to the economy, with euro zone manufacturing activity indicators due out later after data from China showed some signs of recovery in factory output but not enough to prevent the sector contracting, said Reuters.

At the regional markets, Hong Kong’s hang Seng Index lost 1.84% to 20,634.39, Singapore’s Straits Times Index lost 1.11% to 2,961.18, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.76% to 2,388.59, Taiwan’s Taiex was down 0.35% to 7,481.09, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 shed 0.20% to 9,542.17, whiel South Korea’s Kospi edged down 0.10% to 1,972.63.

Among the major losers on Monday, BAT fell 98 sen to RM55.540, Aeon and Jaya Tiasa fell 21 sen each to RM9.20 and RM9.76, Genting 18 sen to RM10.62, Boustead 17 sen to RM5.28, Bumi Armada and CSL 16 sen each to RM4.31 and RM1.49, Warisan and Nestle down 14 sen each to RM2.34 and RM55.84, while Subur Tiasa fell 13 sen to RM2.95.

Other decliners included CIMB and Telekom that fell five sen each to RM7.50 and RM5/37, whiel RHB Capital and Tenaga lost four sen each to RM7.39 and RM6.48.

Araiantec was the most actively traded counter with 396.6 million shares done. The stock gained two sen to 24 sen.

Other actives included Metronic, Asral Supreme, Focus, Naim Indah Corp, JCY and Jotech.

Advancing stocks included Petronas Dagangan, Aeon Credit, United PLANTATION []s, Dutch Lady, Kencana, SapuraCrest, Manulife, Litrak and BIntulu Port.



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KLCI ends lower, but hangs on above 1,590-level

KUALA LUMPUR (April 20): The FBM KLCI extended its losses to close lower on Friday, as external factors weighed on investor sentiment and dragged stocks lower.

The index fell 4.77 points to close at 1,591.85, weighed by losses including at Petronas Chemicals, Genting, RHB Capital and CIMB.

Market breadth was negative with 364 losers, 317 gainers and 361 counters unchanged. Volume was 1.63 billion shares valued at RM1.48 billion.

Meanwhile, Asian shares fell and commodity-linked currencies such as the Australian dollar slipped on Friday after disappointing U.S. economic data stirred doubts about the strength of the recovery, according to Reuters.

Renewed worries on the euro zone debt crisis also kept riskier assets under pressure, as a better-than-feared Spanish bond auction failed to allay concerns that Spain may follow Greece, Ireland and Portugal in needing an international bailout, it said.

A weekend featuring a potentially rocky meeting of the International Monetary Fund, which is seeking to boost its funds to help contain Europe's problems, and the first round of a French presidential election have heightened the nervousness, said Reuters.

At the regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down 0.28% to 9,561.23, Taiwan’s taiex lost 1.52% to 7,507.15, South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.26% to 1,974.65 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index xx

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.19% to 2,406.86 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged up 0.07% to 21,010.64.

On Bursa Malaysia, Aeon fell 19 sen to RM9.41, Manulife and Petronas Chemicals fell 14 sen each to RM3.22 and RM6.56, MISC down 13 sen to RM5.03, Genting and Bursa fell 12 sen each to RM10.80 and RM6.85, while SAM Engineering, Litrak, Lafarge Malayan Cement and Kian Joo fell 10 sen each to RM3.55, RM4, RM7.21 and RM2.04 respectively.

Ariantec was the most actievely traded counter with 436.8 million shares done. The stock rose 4.5 sen to 22 sen.

Other actives included Metronic, Focus, Naim indah Corp, CSL, Astral Supreme, AWC and SuperComNet.

Gainers included BAT, Dutch Lady, Aeon Credit, KLK, Jaya Tiasa, Panasonic, Country View, Carlsberg, CBIP and GAB.



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Maybank IB Research downgrades Aeon to Hold from Buy

KUALA LUMPUR April 18): Maybank Investment Bank Bhd Research has downgraded Aeon Co (M) Bhd to a Hold at RM9.6 with an unchanged target price of RM8.70 and said the company’s share price was up an impressive 33% year-to-date and had breached its target price (pegged at 14x 2013 PER).

“With little upside catalyst at this stage and low dividend yield as support, we downgrade our recommendation from Buy to Hold.

“We forecast revenue growth of 6.8% for the group in 2012, in line with the 6% industry growth expected by the Retail Association of Malaysia,” Maybank IB Research said in a note on Wednesday.



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KLCI closes lower in tandem with regional markets

KUALA LUMPUR (APRIL 17: The FBM KLCI fell on Monday, in tandem with its regional peers, as investors spooked by re-emerging worries over the European sovereign debt crisis sold down riskier assets.

The FBM KLCI fell 5.6 points to close lower at 1,597.51 on Monday.

Market breadth was negative with 428 losers, 272 gainers whiel 320 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.05 billion shares valued at RM 1.26 billion.

Asian shares and the euro fell on Monday as a surge in Spanish government bond yields renewed concerns about Europe's sovereign debt crisis and undermined investor appetite for riskier assets, according to Reuters.

At the regional markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.44% to 20,610.64, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.74% to 9,470.64, South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.81% to 1,992.63, Taiwan’s Taiex lost 0.75% to 7,729.86 while, Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.14% to 2,992.12.

Among the decliners on Monday, Dutch Lady fell 42 sen to RM35.16, United PLANTATION []s down 38 sen to RM24.62, The Store fell 24 sen to RM2.25, Aeon 19 sen to RM9.61, Hibiscus 17 sen to RM1.93, Amway 14 sen to RM9.84, Genting, BAT and Shell lost 12 sen each to RM10.92, RM54.68 and RM10.16 respectively.

Ingenuity Solutions was the most actively traded counter with 59.4 million shares done. The stock fell half a sen to 9.5 sen.

Other actives included Ariantec, Naim Indah Corp, Metronic, CSL, AWC, DVM and SuperComNet.

Gainers included Jaya Tiasa, Tasek, Warisan, PMB Tech, Subur Tiasa, Ta Ann, Iterex, Ekovest and Hong Leong Industries.



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RHB Research upgrades Aeon to market perform, raises FV to RM10.40

KUALA LUMPUR (April 10): RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd has upgraded Aeon Co (M) Bhd to Market Perform and raised its fair value to RM10.40(from RM8.90 previously) and said Aeon expects to open another outlet in Dec 2012 in Sri Manjung.

In a note Tuesday, RHB Research said the mall would be leased from the developer and have total net lettable area of 400k sq ft.

“Further ahead, we understand that Aeon has plans to open one mall in 2013, although no details on location were given. In 2014, Aeon expects to open three new malls, i.e. Kulai, Sg. Petani and Bukit Mertajam.

“For its retail operations, which include department store and supermarket sales, AEON expects its Same Store Sales (SSS) growth to be approximately 4% for FY12, higher than our estimates of 2-3% for FY12-14,” it said.

The research house said that moving forward, Aeon’s management expects profit before tax for its property management service to be sustained at FY11 levels of RM120 milion-RM130 million, which RHB Research said was slightly higher than its current estimates of RM110 million-RM120 million for FY12-14.

“We raise our fair value to RM10.40 (from RM8.90) based on a new target PER of 16x FY12 EPS (from 14x FY12 EPS previously). We upgrade our call on the stock to Market Perform,” it said.



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KLCI closes higher, lifted by CIMB and select blue chips

KUALA LUMPUR (March 29): The FBM KLCI closed higher on Thursday, lifted by select blue chips including CIMB, Genting, Hong Leong Bank and BAT but the broader market was cautious.

The 30-stock index added 1.69 points to 1585.44. Gainers trailed losers by 260 to 462, while 353 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.50 billion shares valued at RM1.39 billion.

Asian shares fell for a second successive day on Thursday as concerns about growth prospects in the world's two largest economies, the United States and China, prompted investors to trim their risk exposure ahead of the end of the quarter, according to Reuters.

The Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.43% to 2,252.16, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 1.32% to 20,609.39, Taiwan’s Taiex fell 2.06% to 7,872.66, South korea’s Kospi fell 0.85% to 2,014.41 while Singapore’s Straits Times index fell 0.28% to 3,007.44.

However, European stocks pared early losses and rose on Thursday, bouncing off a three-week low as rallying mining shares offset losses in the energy sector, where Total extended its slide, hit by worries over a gas leak in the North Sea, said Reuters.

On Bursa Malaysia, Warisan TC gained 20 sen to RM2.70, Aeon up 19 sen to RM9.40, BAT 18 sen to RM56.52, Hong Leong Bank 16 sen to RM12.38, Jaya Tiasa and Litrak added 15 sen each to RM8.38 and RM4.10. Toyo Ink rose 12 sen to RM1.58, WCT and Crescendo 11 sen each to RM2.50 and RM1.92, and Shell 10 sen to RM10.20.

Other gainers included CIMB that rose 10 sen to RM7.60, Genting four sen to RM11.14, Genting Malaysia two sen to RM3.89.

Decliners included Dutch lady, BLD PLANTATION []s, RHB Capital, GAB, Batu Kawan, SMPC, Bursa, United Plantations and Kossan.

The actives included Ariantec, Naim Indah Corp, Metronic, SuperComnet, Focus, Ingeuity Solutions, Key West and ManagePay.



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KLCI edges up mid-day, lifted by select blue chips

KUALA LUMPUR (March 29): The FBM KLCI edged up at the mid-day break on Thursday, lifted by select blue chips including CIMB, Genting-linked counters, Petronas Chemicals and BAT.

At 12.30pm, the KLCI was up 0.41% to 1,584.16. Gainers trailed losers by 197 to 388, while 318 counters were traded unchanged. Volume was 819.28 million shares valued at RM554.24 million.

Asian shares fell for a second successive day on Thursday as concerns about growth prospects in the world's two largest economies, the United States and China, prompted investors to trim their risk exposure ahead of the end of the quarter, according to Reuters.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 1.2% to 20,634.30, Taiwan’s Taiex fell 2.67% to 7,823.78, South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.06% to 2,010.26, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was down 0.82% to 10,099.30, the Shanghai Composite Index 0.58% to 2,271.60 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index 0.28% to 3,007.44.

Among the gainers on Bursa Malaysia, Dutch Lady was the top gainer, up RM2.62 to RM37.50.

BAT added 18 sen to RM56.52, Aeon 14 sen to RM9.35, Toyo Ink 14 sen to RM9.35, MISC 12 sen to RM5.32 and Shell 10 sen to RM10.20. Southern Acids, Kulim, Ta Ann and Crescesndo added nine sen each to RM2.39, RM4.30, RM6.18 and RM1.90 respectively.

CIMB rose seven sen to RM7.57, while Petronas Chemicals, Genting and Genting PLANTATION []s added two sen each to RM6.70, RM11.12 and RM3.89 respectively.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 56.7 million shares done. The stock added half a sen to 48.5 sen.

Other actives included Ariantec, Focus, SuperComnet, Metronic, Key West and Iris Corp.

Among the decliners were Shangri-la, BLD Plantations, GAB, Sungei Bagan, RHB Capital, SMPC, PPB, SBC Corp and Kris Assets.



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KLCI closes higher, but stays shy of 1,590-level

KUALA LUMPUR (March 27): the FBM KLCI recovered some lost ground and closed higher on Tuesday, in line with the overall improved sentiment at key regional markets.

However, the index stayed shy of breaching the 1,590-level for long.

The FBM KLCI was up 5.12 points to close at 15,88.10, lifted by gains at select blue chips. The index had earlier risen to its intra-day high of ,591.03.

Gainers led losers by 389 to 381, while 337 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.94 billion shares valued at RM1.66 billion.

Asian stocks rebounded, with Japan's Nikkei hitting a one-year high, and the dollar struggled on Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said ultra-loose monetary policy was still needed to reduce unemployment, according to Reuters

Europe's major equity markets were also poised for gains, with Euro STOXX 50 index futures opening up 0.7 percent, while financial spreadbetters called London's FTSE to start trading 0.2-0.3 percent higher, it said.

At the regional markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.69% to 21,017.13, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 2.36% to 10,255.15, South korea’s Kospi was up 1.02% to 2,039.76, Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.78% to 8,029.46 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index…

On Bursa Malaysia, Dutch Lady was the top gainer and rose 60 sen to RM32, F&N added 24 sen to RM18.50, Petronas Dagangan added 22 sen to RM18.70, Malayan Flour Mills 21 sen to RM4.65 and KLK 20 sen to RM24.06.

Aeon Credit, Takaful and HLFG added 18 sen each to RM8.88, RM2.90 and RM12.30 respectively, while Petronas Gas and Genting PLANTATION []s gained 16 sen each to RM16.90 and RM9.41.

Metronic was the most actively traded counter with 280.1 million shares done. The counter gained four sen to 24.5 sen.

Other actives included Ariantec, Supercomnet, Naim Indah Corp, Focus, Frontken, Oversea Enterprise and TMS.

Among the decliners, Aeon fell 25 sen to RM9.15, Bintulu Port 17 sen to RM6.83, Allianz 12 sen to RM4.70, AirAsia 11 sen to RM3.35, Top Glove 10 sen to RM4.55. P.I.E., TDM, MISC and Sunway fell nine sen each to RM4.81, RM4.77, RM5.29 and RM2.62 respectively.



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KLCI reverses gains, slips into negative territory

KUALA LUMPUR (March 26): The FBM KLCI slipped and closed in negative territory on Monday in line with most of the key regional markets that reversed their earlier gains and fell in later trade, extending losses after weak PMI reports last week stoked fears that China's economy was slowing and the euro zone is sliding into recession.

The FBM KLCI fell 2.85 points to close at 1,582.98, weighed by losses at index-linked PLANTATION [] stocks and select blue chips including Tenaga and MISC.

At the regional markets, Taiwan’s Taiex lost 1.35% to 7,967.62, South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.38% to 2,019.19, Singapore’s Straits Times Index xx, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.07% to 10,018.24, the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.05% to 2,350.690 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index closed flat at 20,0668.86.

Meanwhile, European shares rose on Monday in a technical bounce, after recording their steepest weekly loss since the start of the year, as investors searched for bargains and positioned themselves for a potential strong German Ifo figure.

On Bursa Malaysia, Carlsberg was the top loser and fell 26 sen to RM10.20, Jaya Tiasa 22 seen to RM8.08, Chin teck Plantations fell 20 sen to RM9.10, Warisan down 19 sen to RM2.41, Tenaga lost 18 sen to RM6.50, JT International and Litrak lost 16 sen each to RM6.60 and RM3.94, Far East 15 sen to RM7.40 while AirAsia fell 13 sen to RM3.46.

Among plantations, Genting Plantations lost 22 sen to RM9.25, while KLK and IOI Corp fell four sen each to RM23.86 and RM5.34.

Among the gainers, Dutch Lady added 42 sen to RM31.40, SMPC up 28 sen to RM1.84, Aeon 25 sen to RM9.40, BAT 20 sen to RM54, Supercomnet added 19.5 sen to 49.5 sen, PUC and Hartalega 14 sen each to 29 sen and RM8.09, Unisem 13 sen to RM1.46, HLFG 12 sen to RM12.12 while Malayan Flour Mills was up 11 sen to RM4.44.

The actives included Focus, metronic, Supercomnet, Ariantec, Naim Indah Corp, Flonic and Karambunai.



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MMC, Gamuda in focus after MRT projects

KUALA LUMPUR (March 20): MMC Corp and Gamuda’s securities provided some life into the otherwise lacklustre market on Tuesday as investors stayed mostly on the sidelines in line with the cautious regional markets.

The FBM KLCI closed up 4.02 points or 0.26% to 1,577.62, lifted by gains in IOI Corp and Tenaga. Turnover was 2.14 billion shares valued at RM1.76 billion. There were 314 gainers, 431 losers and 376 counters unchanged.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.08% to 20,888.20, Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.38% to 2,376.84, Taiwan’s Taiex shed 0.89% to 7,972.70 but Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.42% to 3,002.73.

Market sentiment was cautious as reflected in the broader market where declining stocks led advancers. While there was some fund support for key stocks, trading activity was heavy in penny stocks and lower liners.

The KLCI is one of the laggards among the key regional markets, with the index up 6.27% in US dollar terms year-to-date compared with STI’s 16.55%, Hang Seng Index’s 9.87% and Shanghai Composite’s 7.77%.

IOI Corp and Tenaga rose five sen each to RM5.29 and RM6.54, pushing up the index by 1.39 points.

MMC added 15 sen to RM2.95, pushing the index up by 0.57 of a point. Gamuda rose 12 sen to RM3.74 and Gamuda-WD 10 sen to RM1.45.

The securities of the companies saw active trade after their joint venture won the underground package for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT line with the bid of RM8.2 billion.

Hartalega was the top gainer, up 26 sen to RM8.19, Ta Ann 13 sen to Rm5.88, HLFG 12 sen to RM12, and Batu Kawan 10 sen to RM18.60.

Share prices of Metronic Global and its 17%-owned unit Ariantec Global slipped in active trade. Ariantec fell 3.5 sen to 10.5 sen and it was the most active with 121.23 million shares done while Metronic eased two sen to 11 sen.

Focus, which was queried over the sharp increase in the price of its securities and volume, saw its share price ending the day two sen higher at 21.5 sen. Focus-WA added four sen to eight sen and Focus-WB two sen to 14.5 sen.

Among the index-linked stocks, Petronas Chemicals fell three sen to RM6.71, Public Bank two sen to RM13.62 and RHB Cap three sen to RM8.

Aeon was the top loser, down 25 sen to RM9.13 with 20,500 shares done. Cypark lost 11 sen to RM1.87 and United PLANTATION []s 10 sen to RM25.



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KLCI closes sharply higher as regional markets end mixed

KUALA LUMPUR (March 14): the FBM KLCI rose sharply higher in late trade on Wednesday to stay firmly above the 1,570-point level, lifted by gains at select bue chips including Sime Darby, Axiata, Petronas Gas, PPB and BAT.

The 30-stock index closed 11.69 points higher at 1,575.71.

Meanwhile, Shanghai and Hong Kong shares reversed early gains to snap a four-session winning streak on Wednesday, dragged by China plays after Premier Wen Jiabao doused expectations for easing in the property sector at the close of China's annual parliamentary meeting, according to Reuters.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.63% to 2,391.23 and Hong kOng’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.15% to 21,307.89.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 1.53% higher at 10.050.52, South Korea’s Kospi added 0.99% to 2,045.08, and Taiwan’s Taiex gained 1.17% to 8,125.26 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index

CIMB Research in its Alpha Edge report on March 14 covering regional markets said last week’s resurgence of US and regional equity markets indicated that it was still not time for a major correction though markets should be close to one.

“Last night, the VIX (Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index) fell to a four-year low, showing signs of complacency among investors. We remain bearish on prospects for this year,” it said.

The research house said that over the past week, the KLCI had been drifting downwards. It is now holding just above the support trendline at 1,568 points.

“A sharp breakdown of this support would convince us that the uptrend since last November has already ended.

“Until that happens, we cannot discount another short upleg towards the 1,580-1,600 levels,” it said.

On Bursa Malaysia, the top gainer was BAT that rose RM1.18 to RM53.98, Petronas Gas gained 48 sen to RM16.98, Far East up 35 sen to RM7.60, Aeon 29 een to RM9.40, PPB 28 wen to RM16.98, Aeon Credit up 25 sen to RM8.35, GAB 24 sen to RM13.48, Shell 22 sen to RM10.22 while Sarawak Oil Palm added 20 sen to RM6.23, while Axiata added six sen to RM5.12 and Sime Darby gaind two sen to RM9.71.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 117.8 million shares done. The stock fell 2.5 sen to 66 sen.

Other actives included CSL, YTL, Tiger Synergy, HWGB, Euro Holdings, Axiata, Sime Darby, Astral Supreme and Silber Bird.



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KLCI stays above 1,570-level at mid-day

KUALA LUMPUR (March 14): The FBM KLCI remained in positive territory at the mid-day break on Wednesday and stayed above the 1,570 level in line with the positive sentiment at key regional markets.

Asian markets extended their gains from the morning on the back of a firmer overnight close at Wall Street and were given an added impetus after most of the largest U.S. banks passed their annual stress test, according to the Federal Reserve, in a conservative report card that underscored the recovery of the financial sector but called out a few laggards, including Citigroup.

The Fed announced the results in an earlier-than-expected release on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase pulled the trigger on announcing its own glowing marks before the Fed's release, and helped lift the stock market, according to Reuters.

At 12.30pm, the KLCI was up 9.20 points to 1,573.22. Gainers led losers by 427 to 221, while 318 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 630.98 million shares valued at RM701.74 million.

The ringgit weakened 0.20% to 3.0044 versus the US dollar; crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery rose RM45 per tonne to RM3,337, crude oil added 32 cents per barrel to US$107.90 while gold rose US$5.18 an ounce to US$1,704.95.

At the regional markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.74% to 10,071.70, Hong Kong’s Hong Seng Index rose 1.28% to 21,613.40, the shanghai Composite Index added 0.74% to 2,474.07, South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.34% to 2,052.22 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index was up 1.14% to 3,023.10.

At Bursa Malaysia, BAT added RM1.18 to RM53.98, Aeon 39 sen to RM9.50, GAB 20 sen to RM13.44, Toyo Ink 19 wen to RM1.63, United PLANTATION []s and Shell 18 sen each to RM25 and RM10.18, Jaya Tiasa 14 sen to RM7.60, UMW 12 sen to RM7.24, Panasonic and Johore Tin 12 sen each to RM22.20 and RM1.33.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 99.9 million shares done. The stock fell 1.5 sen to 67 sen.

Other actives included astral Supreme, Euro Holdings, YTL, Sing Heng Chan, Tiger Synergy, Hwatai and Camres.

Meanwhile, decliners in the morning session included Tahps, Sunchirin, Warisan, Scientex, BOnia, MIlux, APB and Batu Kawan.



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Aeon Co. Malaysia plans RM350m capex this year

KUALA LUMPUR (March 8): AEON CO. (M) BHD [] has allocated RM350 as capital expenditure for this year which includes opening a department store in Sri Manjung in Perak by year-end.

The company is also undertaking a RM10 million rebranding exercise to change the name of its department stores from Jusco to Aeon.

To recap, in 1984, Aeon Japan Ltd of Japan was invited by the Malaysia government to modernise the retail industry in Malaysia. Since then, it had been operating the Jusco stores under its subsidiary company, Aeon Co. (M) Bhd.

But with the group moving towards globalisation, it is taking on the global brand name of Aeon for all its stores and shopping centres.



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