FBMKLCI 1511.72 DJ-18.46 CRUDE OIL 91.08 RM 3.11

Speculation about Johor Corp Bhd's (JCorp) plan to divest its stakes in QSR Brands Bhd and KFC Holdings (M) Bhd was put to rest yesterday after the state investment company reiterated it has no plans to sell those prized assets. “QSR and KFC are not for sale,” JCorp president and chief executive Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim said in a statement, adding that it did not make sense for the company to sell its “core business”.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has highlighted that achieving earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of RM773.4mil; a return on equity of 10.73% and a top 5 worldwide ranking for KL International Airport as its headline key performance indicators (KPIs) in 2011.

MAHB told Bursa Malaysia yesterday that the headline KPIs were set based on its strategic plans and long-term targets that were developed under its five-year (2010-2014) business direction planning initiative.

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) raked in RM5.75bil in investment income for the third quarter ended Sept 30, a 5.12% increase from RM5.47bil registered in the same quarter last year. In a statement yesterday, it said equities investment was the largest contributor with RM2.4bil, representing a 2.56% increase compared with RM2.34bil recorded in the previous corresponding period.

DRB-Hicom is exploring the possibility of divesting its interests in insurers Uni.Asia Life Assurance and Uni.Asia General Insurance, say sources. There has been an interest in DRB’s insurance units but the potential buyer is still studying the numbers. It has not reached the decision stage yet. DRB’s major shareholder, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary, declined to comment. DRB has a 51% stake in Uni.Asia Life and 34.73% stake in Uni.Asia General. Its current equity partner in the two units is Singapore’s UOB.

FBMKLCI 1494.78 DJ -39.51 CRUDE OIL 85.76 RM 3.133

In a twist of events, two rival offers on the table in the proposed takeover of QSR Brands Bhd have been rejected. This follows Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd's announcement yesterday that it had turned down the offer by Carlyle Investment Advisors Ltd to acquire an equity interest in QSR for RM1.94 billion or RM6.70 per share. Kulim has a 57.8% stake in QSR. 

Port operator Integrax Bhd may consider selling its stake in Lumut Maritime Terminal Sdn Bhd (LMT) for a price tag of no less than RM125 million.

  

RHBCap) net profit for 3QFY10 ended Sept 30 rose 5% to RM351.4 million, underpinned by higher net interest income and fee income.  

 

Pos Malaysia’s earnings rose 44.7% to RM31.3 million in the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2010 fromRM21.63 million ago on higher operating profit, revenue, and the tariff increase effective from July 1. Revenue rose 3.5% to RM227.4 million from RM219.7 million. Earnings per share were 5.83 sen compared with four sen. The group 3Q profit from operations was RM38.1 million, higher than the RM18.3 million a year ago.

MUIIND  posted net profit of RM33.04 million in its third quarter ended Sept 30, 2010, compared with RM4.51 million a year ago. There was a reserval of impairment in an associate amounting to RM17.98 million. Revenue was 2.7% lower at RM238.45 compared with RM245.09 million a year ago, Earnings per share were 1.63 sen compared with 0.23 sen.

KLK posted a 27% increase in earnings to RM311.04 million from RM243.73 million a year ago, boosted by its plantationss sector though there was a decline in its manufacturing operations. Revenue increased by 11.9% to RM2.014 billion from RM1.799 billion while earnings per share were 29.21 sen compared with 22.89 sen. It declared dividends of 45 sen per share, an increase from 30 sen a year ago.

Three companies - Petra Energy, Carimin SB and Shapadu Corp SB - are understood to have emerged as the front runners to bag retro-fitting, hook-up and commissioning jobs for oilfields located in Peninsular and East Malaysia from Petroliam Nasional (PETRONAS), industry sources said. According to sources, the contracts are valued at RM1.2bn in total and could be evenly broken down to three parcels of RM400m between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. Petra Energy is understood to have almost secured the Sarawak portion, while Carimin is close to bagging the Sabah job. Shapadu, meanwhile, is said to be the front runner to get the retrofitting, hook-up and commissioning jobs for Peninsular Malaysia.

A study on a possible merger between the country's top two national car companies has been completed, International Trade and Industry Minister (Miti) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said. Miti is setting a date by the year-end to discuss a third-party's research findings on the possible merger between Proton Holdings and Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua SB. The study was carried out by Frost & Sullivan

FBMKLCI: 1496.49 

New stock listing

No.  Stock  Code    Stock Name     Reference Price      Lower Limit     Upper Limit

1.    5183                PCHEM           5.200                         3.640               26.000

AirAsia Bhd posted a record net profit of RM327.29 million in 3QFY10 ended Sept 30, up 140% from RM136.26 million the previous corresponding quarter as it flew more passengers. 

Genting Bhd's 3QFY10 ended Sept 30 net profit grew 3.62% to RM765.92 million from RM739.17 million in the previous quarter with a deceleration of contribution from its Singapore and Malaysia leisure and hospitality operations.

JohorCorp (JCorp), the ultimate major shareholder of QSR Brands Bhd, has poured cold water on Tan Sri Halim Saad's bid for Malaysia's biggest fast food group on the same day that a much higher offer was made. Earlier yesterday, US private equity group Carlyle Group offered RM6.70 a share for QSR, its parent Kulim (M) Bhd told Bursa Malaysia. But JCorp's evening announcement provided a late twist to the tale and raised more questions as it did not comment on Carlyle's bid

DRB-HICOM Bhd  said net profit for the second quarter to September 30 grew 185.5 per cent to RM155 million, from RM54.3 million in the same period last year. Consequently, net profit for the six months was at RM355.2 million against RM114.8 million in the first half of last year.

The government is expected to award the jobs for the long-awaited light rail transit (LRT) extension project soon, and successful bidders have been short listed. Sources said. According to a source familiar with the matter, parties that had lobbied for the LRT extension jobs for the Ampang and Kelana Jaya lines include UEM Group, IJM Corp, Bina Puri and TRC Synergies. The contracts to be awarded will be building of LRT stations, laying groundwork and alignment before constructing the railway. The total extension length of the Kelana Jaya line is 17km and for the Ampang line 17.7km. Both extensions will see an additional 13 stations.

Construction work on the Penang Sentral Integrated Transport Hub in Butterworth is expected to begin next month, according to developer Malaysian Resources Corp (MRCB). MRCB executive director, Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, said the company has solved all the land issues and the project could proceed as usual. "The first phase of the project is expected to be completed before 2013," he told a media briefing yesterday The hub, a component project of the Northern Corridor Economic Region, would be undertaken by a joint-venture between MRCB and Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputra .  It was earlier reported that the first phase would be delayed due to some land issues.  Ahmad Zaki said the actual cost of the project was expected to increase to RM2.7bn

MAS posted operating profit of RM122.7 million for the third quarter ended Sept 30 (3Q2010) compared with an operating loss of RM77.4 million a year ago, which lifted the nine-month financial period solidly into the black. For the 3Q2010, the significant improvement was mainly due to higher operating revenue and improvement in its yield.

PROTON saw its earnings decline 19.6% to RM65.92 million in the second quarter ended Sept 30, 2010 from RM82.06 million a year ago, due to  one-off provision for stock obsolescence and branding cost. It said on Thursday, Nov 25 revenue was 6.6% higher at RM2.24 billion compared with RM2.10 billion. Earnings per share were 12 sen compared with 14.9 sen. Its net asset per share was RM9.83. Group profit before tax was RM81.26 million, a decline of 19% from RM100.65 million a year ago.

YTL Corp Bhd reported a 34.3% increase in its earnings at RM278.9 million for the first quarter ended Sept 30 from RM207.5 million a year ago, boosted by the strong performance in its major operating companies.

 

FBMKLCI 1503.20 DJ -24.97 CRUDE OIL 81.75 RM 3.078

Key Asian markets including Bursa Malaysia are expected to start on a softer note on Tuesday, Nov 23, weighed down by the weaker overnight close on Wall Street due to the debt crisis in Europe and the FBI’s probe into insider trading.
Reuters reported risk aversion kicked in as stocks followed the euro's fall against the U.S. dollar after turmoil in Ireland's fragile coalition government overshadowed an agreed-on bailout of the country. Investors fear the crisis will spread throughout Europe, raising the spectre of losses by exposed U.S. banks.

PPB Group Bhd saw its 3QFY10 ended Sept 30 net profit plunge 51.6% year-on-year, or RM307.1 million, to RM288 million due to weaker contributions from 18.35%-owned associate Wilmar International Ltd.

The jury is still out on the preliminary offer made by Tan Sri Halim Saad to acquire the entire business and undertakings of QSR Brands Bhd, with analysts saying details are still too scant to judge whether the offer is fair. 

MRCB-IJM Land suspended, they are to announce potential corporate exercise today. Another GLC-private sector property merger appears to be on the cards, this time between Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) and IJM Land Bhd, as has been speculated since last week. 

FTSE Group and Bursa Malaysia Bhd announced yesterday that Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd would replace Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd (BToto) in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index (FBM KLCI).

Javace Sdn Bhd has extended the takeover offer for UBG Bhd shares to 5pm on Dec 17 from 5pm tomorrow, UBG Bhd told Bursa Malaysia yesterday.

Salcon Bhd has proposed to sell a 40% stake in its wholly-owned subsidiary Salcon Asia to Challenger Emerging Market Infrastructure Fund Pte Ltd (EMIF) for 238 million renminbi or RM112.26mil cash.


CIMB Group Holdings Bhd posted a 26% increase in net profit to RM916mil in the third quarter ended Sept 30 versus RM726.8mil in the same period a year ago. 

BHIC posted a slightly higher net profit of RM26.9mil for the third quarter ended Sept 30 versus RM24.75mil a year ago.