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.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

TH Plantations up 1%, trades ex-dividend

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2) : TH PLANTATION []s Bhd rose as much as 1.2% as investors chased the stock which trades ex-dividend on Wednesday. The final lodgement date falls on Friday.

Shares of TH Plantations gained three sen to RM2.62 before trading lower at RM2.61 at 10.24am with some 230,000 shares done.

The firm plans to reward shareholders with a first and final single-tier dividend of 12.5 sen a share for financial year ended December 31, 2011. The dividend translates into a 4.8% yield based on the stock’s latest closing price.

The company said last month net profit fell 40% to RM13.07 million in the first quarter to March 31, 2012 from RM 21.83 million a year earlier due to higher cost of sales and tax expense. Revenue, however, grew 27% to RM95.05 million from RM75.06 million.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

Malaysian stocks gain on US economic data

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2) : Malaysian shares gained on Wednesday morning in tandem with Asian peers following a stronger close across US stock markets in overnight trade.

World markets have reacted positively to better US manufacturing data in April, during which, the growth rate was the strongest in 10 months , according to the Institute for Supply Management.

In technical terms, analysts, however, foresee downside possibilities for Malaysia’s stock benchmark FBM KLCI as the index had failed to close above the 50-day moving average of 1,584 points as of last Monday. As such, it will be interesting to see if the 30-stock FBM KLCI will be able to sustain its gains on Wednesday.

At 9.59am, the gauge added 6.07 points to 1,576.88. Across the exchange, some 269 million shares worth RM161 million were traded, leading to 222 gainers versus 126 decliners.

Top gainers NESTLE (M) BHD [] rose 62 sen to RM55.92 while AEON CREDIT SERVICE (M) BHD [] added 30 sen to RM11.

Among decliners, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (M) [] Bhd fell 44 sen to RM55.10, while DUTCH LADY MILK INDUSTRIES BHD [] was down 30 sen to RM33.10.

Among actively-traded stocks, ASTRAL SUPREME BHD [] added one sen to 34 sen with some 14 million shares done.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

Maybank IB Research maintains Hold on BIMB, raises target price to RM2.95

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): Maybank Investment Bank Bhd has maintained its Buy rating on BIMB HOLDINGS BHD [] and raised its target price to RM2.95 (from RM2.55) and said higher valuations were warranted for both Bank Islam and Syarikat Takaful (STMB), given their strong underlying fundamentals.

“Pegging on higher P/BV valuations for both companies, our SOP valuation for BIMB Holdings is raised to MYR2.95 from MYR2.55, which implies 16% upside to the current share price.

“Our revised target P/BV multiple for STMB (Not Rated) values the takaful operator at MYR4.75, or 20% upside to its current share price,” it said in a note Wednesday.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

KLCI edges up in early trade in line with regional gains

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): The FBM KLCI edged up in early trade on Wednesday in line with the gains at most key regional markets and the firmer overnight close at Wall Street.

At 9.06am, the FBM KLCI was up 6.14 points to 1,576.75.

Gainer s led losers by 103 to 35, while 75 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 38.81 million shares valued at RM19.39 million.

Asian shares edged higher and the dollar recovered against the yen on Wednesday after strong U.S. factory activity data eased concerns about a loss of momentum in the world's biggest economy, according to Reuters.

Most markets in Asia and Europe were closed on Tuesday to mark the May Day holiday. Japanese financial markets will be closed for public holidays on Thursday and Friday, it said.

U.S. factory activity grew in April at the strongest rate in 10 months, with the Institute for Supply Management's index rising to 54.8 from 53.4 in March, beating forecasts and easing worries the economy had lost momentum at the start of the second quarter, said Reuters.

On Bursa Malaysia, the early gainers included Harissons, BHIC, Tasek, Petronas Gas, MPI, KLK, UMW, Kim Loong and Sarawak PLANTATION []s.

Meanwhile, trading in the securities of Malaysian Arline System Bhd and AIRASIA BHD [] was halted from 9am on Wednesday at the request of the two airlines pending a material announcement.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

MAS, AirAsia share trading to be halted from 9am today

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): Trading in the securities of Malaysian Arline System Bhd and AIRASIA BHD [] will be halted from 9am on Wednesday at the request of the two airlines pending a material announcement.

Malaysia Airlines was expected to announce the cancellation of plans for a share swap with budget carrier AirAsia.

For more on this, read today’s edition of the Edge Financial Daily’s report on Boards of Khazanah and Tune Air today will make official their decision to abandon the RM1.1 billion share-swap deal involving MAS and AirAsia.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

Alliance Research downgrades CIMB To Hold, cuts target price to RM7.92

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): Alliance Research has downgraded CIMB Group Holdings Bhd to a Hold from Buy and cut it target price for the stock to RM7.92 from RM8.80 previously following a report that that Bank of Indonesia (BOI) was planning to impose new caps on single shareholder stakes in the country's commercial banks as early as next month.

The research house it viewed this development to be potentially negative for CIMB and Maybank, given their majority stakes in the respective Indonesia banks.

At present, CIMB owns 96.9% of CIMB Niaga while Maybank owns 97.5% of Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII).

Therefore, the implementation of this regulation could force these banks to pare down their stakes in respective Indonesian subsidiaries and dampen their earnings prospects, it said in note April 30.

“Among the two domestic banking giants, we expect CIMB to be more severely impacted, given that CIMB Niaga’s significant contribution to the group’s bottomline and to remain its key earnings driver going forward.

“For FY11, CIMB Niaga contributed about 30% of CIMB’s PBT while BII contributed 5% of Maybank’s PBT, respectively,” it said.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.

Stocks to watch Kencana, Pantech, Spritzer, KNM, Silver Bird

KUALA LUMPUR (May 1): The FBM KLCI could be range bound when trading resumes on Wednesday after May Day holiday on May 1, given the absence of fresh catalysts.

The FBM KLCI fell some 25.72 points in April, as investor sentiment took a beating given rising external and domestic uncertainties.

Affin Investment Bank Bhd vice president and head of retail research Dr Nazri Khan said he expects the FBM KLCI to trend lower in response to rising solvency risk and borrowing cost in Europe (Spain & Italy) and rising local political uncertainties.

“Despite positive comments from the USA Fed on possible monetary stimulus, a weaker than expected read on April Euro zone sentiment and rising European bond yield seemed to bring struggling European growth and debt concerns back into focus.

Most markets in Asia and Europe were closed on Tuesday to mark the May Day holidays and the Monday close at Wall Street was less then encouraging as The S&P 500 posted its first monthly decline since November on Monday, as stocks slipped in one of the lightest trading days of the year on signs the U.S. economy may be slowing and as a recession in Spain highlighted risks in the euro zone.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 14.68 points, or 0.11 percent, to 13,213.63. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 5.45 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,397.91. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 22.84 points, or 0.74 percent, to 3,046.36.

Among the stocks that could be in focus on Bursa Malaysia are KENCANA PETROLEUM BHD [], PANTECH GROUP HOLDINGS BHD [], SPRITZER BHD [], KNM GROUP BHD [] and SILVER BIRD GROUP BHD [].

Kencana Petroleum Bhd’s wholly owned subsidiary, Kencana HL Sdn. Bhd. ("Kencana HL") in consortium with Shinryo (M) Sdn Bhd has secured an engineering, procurement, CONSTRUCTION [] and commissioning (“EPCC”) from PETRONAS GAS BHD [].

Kencana said on Monday that the contract was for the EPCC of two cogeneration plants, having combined capacity of 50MW of electrical power and steam capacity of 120 ton per hour.

The company said the portion of the contract value for Kencana HL was estimated at RM35 million.

Pantech Group Holdings Bhd Net profit for the fourth quarter ended Feb 29, 2012 surged 90% to RM10.68 million from RM5.11 million a year earlier, due mainly to an increase in revenue.

The company said on Monday that its revenue for the quarter jumped 76.2% to RM128.45 million from RM72.9 million in 2011 due to improved sales demand from oil and gas sector with the on-going new projects.

Earnings per share rose to 2.37 sen from 1.14 sen, whiel net assets per share was 75 sen.

Pantech proposed a final single tier dividend of 1.3 sen per share 20 sen each amounting to RM5.84 million for the financial year ended Feb 29, 2012, subject to shareholders' approval.

Spritzer Bhd net profit for the third quarter ended Feb 29, 2012 jumped 69.4% to RM3.66 million from RM2.16 million a year earlier, due mainly to higher sales of more profitable carbonated and flavoured drinks and natural mineral water products.

The company said on Monday that its revenue for the quarter rose 33% to RM45.22 million from RM34.09 million in 2011 on higher sales volume.

KNM Group Bhd (KNM) has proposed to undertake a fund raising exercise involving a Rights Issuance of RM200 million.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd on Monday, KNM said the definitive terms for the Rights Issue would be determined by the Board of the Company subject to the advice of the Company’s Corporate Advisors to be appointed in due course.

Silver Bird Group Bhd’s proposed group restructuring scheme is expected to be finalised by the middle of May 2012 said Silver Bird Group’s chairman of audit committee, Richard Azlan Abas after the company’s AGM on Monday.

“The group restructuring plan will include, but not limited to, capital reduction, share consolidation, rights issue and debt restructuring. However, it is still in its preliminary stage and very fluid. We hope to finalise the proposed plan once we get an agreement from the major stakeholders by the middle of May.” he added.

When asked about the amount of rights issue which the company intends to raise for its restructuring plan, Richard said it would amount to RM60 million.



Get your T+10 interest FREE margin trading account NOW. Attractive brokerage for online trading. Contact Mr Ho at +603-5192 0808 or hoxian@sjsec.com.my for more details.