Here are some key insight from the management-An update
------------------------------------------------------------
1-PEB will be the largest pure play renewable energy company in Malaysia.

2-Both 5MWp and 38MWp in operation performing well above mark while another 45MWp by April 2021.The 330MWp is expected to built by major regional EPCC player by end of 2022.

3-Aspiration of reaching 1GWp by 2025 via organic and acquisitions

4-reNIKOLA committed to ESG centric policies.

5-Regional ambitions to expand in SEA and Asia.

6-The Purchase Consideration was arrived at on a “willing buyer-willing seller” basis based on the Acquiree Companies’ fair equity value of RM373 million.

7-Corporate exercise via issuance of new PEB shares to acquire reNIKOLA targeted completion by 4Q202.

The making of a multi bagger- The Brahmal/Creador strategy-

1st step - rope in big time foreign/connerstone investors- Done
2nd step - mop up the small free float of shares held by public- in progress
3rd step. -promote CTOS as a super growth stock in Asia - in progress
4rd step - push this monopolistic Gem to rm 3.00 by end of year- just be patient

To achieve max returns- Buy and hold till year end.

Jab's Waning Immunity to hit highly vaccinated countries.
---------------------------------------------------------
2nd September 2021

Israel has become the Covid capital of the world despite leading the charge on vaccines, in a clear warning sign that Britain, the US and other highly-immunised nations are still vulnerable to another wave.

Stats compiled by Oxford University-backed research team Our World in Data shows there were a record 1,892 Covid cases per million people in Israel on Wednesday — nearly 0.2 per cent of the entire population in a single day. sparking fears other highly-vaccinated countries will be hit by another wave due to jabs' waning immunity

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9951117/Israel-worlds-Covid-hotspot-0-2-population-catching-yesterday.html

U.S. Covid-19 Hospitalizations Approach a Peak as Delta Variant Spreads- WSJ

Aug. 28, 2021 9:00 am ET

Covid-19 hospitalizations nationwide crossed above 100,000 this week for the second time in the pandemic, overwhelming caregiver capacity in several states.

Keeping ahead of demand is harder now than during earlier surges, according to doctors, nurses and hospital executives. Patients with other illnesses returned to hospitals this year, leaving fewer open beds as Covid-19 cases soared. The demand is most acute in ICUs, which care for the most-critical patients and need highly trained medical staff. Hospitals are short-staffed and unable to recruit enough nurses and respiratory therapists, who are exhausted as the pandemic wears on.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-covid-19-hospitalizations-approach-a-peak-as-delta-variant-spreads-11630155627?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=1&mod=WTRN#cxrecs_s

Supermax Corporation - FY21 Inline With Expectations

Date: 27/08/2021

Source : KENANGA

Price Target : 5.00

Price Call : BUY

Last Price : 3.20

Outlook.
Due to over-ordering over the past 15 months since the pandemic started, the market is currently undergoing a phase of inventory adjustment. The group highlighted in the quarterly result note that global glove prices have since dropped following the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines but does not expect glove ASPs to drop sharply due to the structural change in glove consumption from new customer segments.

Net cash as at 30 June 2021 stood at RM3.5b or RM1.29/share. According to Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association, the global shortage of rubber gloves will last beyond 1Q 2022 with growth rate averaging between 15% and 20% per annum going forward.

The lead times suggest that CY22 demand will remain strong.

It is concurrently building five glove manufacturing plants, scheduled for completion progressively which will add 22.3b pieces in new capacity and raising total capacity to 48b pieces.

Intraday short selling suspension extended to end-2021- SC should suspend RSS as well.
-------------------------------------------------------
By NST Business - August 27, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: The temporary suspension on intraday short selling (IDSS) and intraday short selling by proprietary day traders (PDT short sale) has been extended to December 31 this year.

The Securities Commission (SC) and Bursa Malaysia Bhd, in a joint statement last night, said accordingly, the temporary waivers related to proprietary day trading would also be extended to December 31.

The temporary suspension of IDSS and PDT short sale was introduced on March 24 last year to mitigate potential risks arising from heightened volatility and global uncertainties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The SC and Bursa said the decision to extend the suspension was made after careful consideration of the various initiatives currently undertaken to strengthen the control measures for intraday short selling activities in order to promote market stability and strengthen the integrity of the capital market.

These involved the ongoing enhancements to the exchange's trading system to improve the overall capacity and robustness of the Bursa Trade Securities 2 system, including the automated application of the "at-tick rule".

Under this rule, IDSS and PDT short sale orders will be at the prevailing best selling price or higher.

"The SC and Bursa Malaysia will continue to monitor developments affecting the capital market and take the necessary measures, to ensure a fair and orderly market as well as mitigate potential risks," they said.

SUPER DIVIDENDS 15 cents per share.
----------------------------
Stock [SUPERMX]: SUPERMAX CORP BHD

Announcement Date 26-Aug-2021

Financial Year 30-Jun-2021

Subject Special Dividend

Description Special Single-Tier Dividend of 15 sen per share

Ex Date 09-Sep-2021

Entitlement Date 10-Sep-2021

Payment Date 30-Sep-2021

Yup RM5-00 in 3 years- Fully agree with you wallstreetrookie CTOS market caps to surpass RM10 billion.

The making of a multi bagger- The Brahmal strategy-

1st step - rope in big time foreign/connerstone investors- Done
2nd step - mop up the small free float of shares held by public- in progress
3rd step. -promote CTOS as a super growth stock in Asia - in progress
4rd step - push this monopolistic Gem to rm 3.00 by end of year- just be patient

To achieve max returns- Buy and hold till year end.

DNeX to inject RM200mil capital in SilTerra
-----------------------------------------------
August 16, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: Dagang Nexchange Bhd (DNeX) and its Chinese partner will inject RM200 million of new capital in SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

DNeX group managing director and SilTerra executive chairmanTan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir told the New Straits Times the capital would be used to buy equipment and upgrade machinery to meet the current technological needs.

DNeX had on July 26 completed the acquisition of a 60 per cent stake in SilTerra from Khazanah Nasional Bhd for RM168.3 million.

Beijing Integrated Circuit Advanced Manufacturing and High-End Equipment Equity Investment Fund Centre (CGP Fund) owns the remaining 40 per cent.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/2021/08/718276/dnex-inject-rm200mil-capital-silterra

Renewable energy the way to go

Saturday, The Star-14 Aug 2021


“Climate change and sustainability have become key motivations across the globe and for the private sector.“A lot of companies are aligning their direction towards sustainability,”

“They have commitments of net zero carbon emissions (to achieve) within a certain number of years.”Titled “Reducing CO2 Emissions in Support of Future Sustainability”, the webinar was organised by Star Media Group, with UOB, a platinum sponsor.UOB Malaysia deputy chief executive officer Ng Wei Wei said the future for solar power was bright, and that investing in it was one of the many ways to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of businesses.

“This is because there is a strong push from the government to increase renewable energy in the country’s power capacity mix to 31% by 2025 and 40% by 2035,” she said. Ng added that international rating firm, Fitch, estimated that Malaysia’s solar capacity could quadruple to surpass 4 gigawatts (GW) in 2030, up from 996 megawatts (MW) at the end of 2020.“Solar power has become more affordable and accessible and is a reliable source of renewable energy in Southeast Asia.

SUPERMX - Potential oversold rebound amid a resurgence in Covid-19 cases worldwide
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Author: HLInvest | Publish date: Wed, 11 Aug 2021

Being one of the leading rubber glove producers in Malaysia, SUPERMX has 12 factories manufacturing various types of nitrile latex and natural rubber gloves, which are exported to over 165 countries worldwide i.e. the US, EU, Middle East, Asia and South Pacific countries. The group’s current capacity stands at 26.15bn gloves per annum. Meanwhile, SUPERMX is also running the very first home-grown contact lens manufacturing company in Malaysia.

SUPERMX’s share price had tumbled 73.3% from its all-time high of RM11.60 to a low of RM3.04 before ending at RM3.09 on 9 Aug, weighed down mainly by the shift in market interest from pandemic beneficiaries to recovery stocks and correction in glove average selling price (ASP).

Currently, SUPERMX is trading at undemanding 4.2x FY22 P/E (6% and 73% discount against its peers’ average of 4.47x and 10Y average of 16.1x, respectively), coupled with the global resurgence in Covid-19 cases to spur demand for their products given the threat of exponential infections from more virulent Delta strain.

In addition, with the finding that Covid-19 (like seasonal flu) is more active during winter months, we reckon it is too early to rule out the possibility of Covid -19 case rising in key markets again (as the US, UK and EU started to relax its lockdown rules), which would inevitably increase the demand for disposable gloves and act as a cushion to the falling ASP.

Technically, SUPERMX is grossly oversold and building a sound base near RM3.00 psychological level. Any weaknesses from current prices towards key supports at RM2.94-3.00 levels provide a good opportunity to accumulate. A strong breakout above RM3.48 (50D SMA) will spur price higher to RM3.81-4.06 levels. Cut loss at RM2.84.

Source: Hong Leong Investment Bank Research - 11 Aug 2021

Demand for gloves to stay strong
---------------------------------
Thursday, 12 Aug 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rubber industry, which recorded exceptional performance in the first half of 2021, is expected to maintain its momentum and reach a new high this year as demand for gloves is projected to stay strong for a long time.

Malaysian Rubber Council (MRC) chief executive officer Nurul Islam Mohamed Yusoff said the performance of rubber gloves is expected to remain robust despite the ramp up in global vaccination levels.

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2021/08/12/demand-for-gloves-to-stay-strong

CTOS Digital - Growth Is Apparent


Publish date: Mon, 9 Aug 2021, 10:00 AM

CTOS has acquired an additional 2.65% in Business Online PCL (BOL) for a fair price of RM26.8m (FY20 PER of ~44x vs. peers’ 40x). The faster-than-expected acquisition, alongside plans to tap into new sectors with tremendous growth potential, reassures us of CTOS’ earnings growth in the coming years. Raise FY21-22E earnings by 2-4%. Reiterate OP with a higher TP of RM1.75 @ FY22E PER of 55x (from 45x) justified by: (i) market dominance in an underpenetrated Malaysia, (ii) more robust industry/company earnings growth, and (iii) scarcity premium.

Second post-listing acquisition. CTOS announced that it has acquired an additional 2.65% (or 21.74m shares) in Business Online PCL (BOL) for RM26.8m, raising its total stake to 22.65% (or 185.84m shares). BOL is the dominant credit bureau (59% market share) in Thailand. The acquisition came as a positive surprise (timing-wise) as CTOS had just completed its 4.625% acquisition in RAM Holdings (RAM) on 29 July 2021.

Fair price. The acquisition price translates to FY20 PER of ~44x, which is in line with global peers’ ~40x. We estimate BOL contribution of RM6.5-7.8m to CTOS’ FY21-22E bottom-line. The increased stake in the Thai leading credit bureau BOL (~59% market share) allows CTOS to further tap into an underpenetrated Thailand (~57% penetration vs. developed U.S. & UK’s 100%). Note that BOL’s 1HFY21 earnings are ~30% higher year- on-year.

More confident on growth. From IPO proceeds earmarked for acquisitions (RM58.7m), the group has utilized ~63% (or RM36.9m) for earnings accretive acquisitions (RAM & BOL) in <1 month of listing. The faster-than-expected acquisitions, coupled with plans to tap into new sectors with tremendous growth potential such as automotive, insurance and real estate (combined 2021-25 CAGR of 50.6%) have boosted our confidence in CTOS’ earnings growth in the coming years. Post-BOL acquisition, we estimate CTOS’ cash balances at ~RM35m with RM21.8m IPO proceeds earmarked for strategic investments. Thereafter, CTOS should be able to fund investments (~10% of net assets), without the need to raise additional capital.

Raise FY21E/FY22E CNP by 2%/4% on higher BOL contribution.

Reiterate OUTPERFORM with a higher TP of RM1.75 (from RM1.40) based on higher FY22E PER of 55x (from 45x), at a 57% premium to peers justified by its: (i) market leader status with 71.2% share in an underpenetrated market, (ii) more robust industry growth (2021-25E CAGR of 13.2%) vs. peers concentrated in developed nations such as U.S. (7.5%), and U.K. (5.3%), (iii) superior earnings growth of 50-20% (vs. peers’ 12-14%), as well as (iv) scarcity premium for an ASEAN-listed credit rating agency (where the growth potential is high).

CTOS said this raised its stake in BOL to 22.65 per cent from 20.00 per cent, expanding its foothold in Thailand's business decision-making solutions market.

"The acquisition will be fully funded by proceeds from the recent initial public offering (IPO). The 2.65 per cent shareholding adds on to CTOS Digital's earlier acquisition of a 20 per cent stake in BOL in October 2020," it said.


CTOS group chief executive officer Dennis Martin said BOL was the largest company information bureau in Thailand, with a 59 per cent market share in terms of revenue for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, based on IDC data.

"BOL continues to exceed our expectations and we are very pleased with the opportunity to increase our stake. BOL has an extensive database of business information online on over 1.6 million local businesses including Thailand's financial institutions, corporates, small medium enterprises and government agencies," said Martin.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/2021/08/716179/ctos-buys-extra-shares-thai-associate

Comfort in consensus, or victim of it?
---------------------------------------
https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2021/08/07/comfort-in-consensus-or-victim-of-it

https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/tuancapital_opinion/2021-08-04-story-h1568964893-FROM_DOUBT_TO_CERTAIN_CHECK_OUT_THIS_STOCK.jsp

https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/tuancapital_opinion/2021-08-04-story-h1568964893-FROM_DOUBT_TO_CERTAIN_CHECK_OUT_THIS_STOCK.jsp

FROM DOUBT TO CERTAIN
Author: tuancapital

DNeX’s SilTerra bags RM1.69b long-term contract from China’s Chipone

KUALA LUMPUR: Dagang Nexchange Bhd’s (DNex) subsidiary SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd has secured a multi-year contract worth US$400mil or RM1.69bil (US$1: RM4.23) with ChipOne Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd.
Under the multi-year agreement, SilTerra will supply wafers which are used in the production of semiconductor devices to ChipOne, it said on Wednesday.

ChipOne is a leading driver integrated circuit (IC), touch controller and fingerprint sensor fabless integrated circuit design house in Beijing.


https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/tuancapital_opinion/2021-08-04-story-h1568964893-FROM_DOUBT_TO_CERTAIN_CHECK_OUT_THIS_STOCK.jsp

DNeX's 60%-owned SilTerra enters into long-term wafer supply contract with Beijing-based ChipOne worth over US$400m
------------------------------------------------------------
theedgemarkets.com

August 04, 2021 14:06 pm

DNeX's 60%-owned SilTerra enters into long-term wafer supply contract with Beijing-based ChipOne worth over US$400m
-A+A
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 4): Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX), through its recently acquired business unit SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, has entered into a long-term multi-year wafer supply and purchase agreement with ChipOne Technology (Beijing) Co Ltd worth over US$400 million (approximately RM1.69 billion).

Under the agreement, SilTerra will supply wafers which are used in the production of semiconductor devices to ChipOne. DNeX said the agreement will allow SilTerra to have a guaranteed wafer base load for the next several years, which will mitigate any downward variability in customer orders and ensure SilTerra has a reasonable factory utilisation rate moving forward.

According to DNeX, ChipOne is the world’s leading driver integrated circuit (IC), touch controller and fingerprint sensor fabless IC design house based in Beijing, China.

"We are pleased for SilTerra to enter into this agreement with one of the leading semiconductor chip design companies in China. This also shows the commitment of the new shareholders of SilTerra in transforming the company through driving sustainable business," DNeX group managing director and SilTerra executive chairman Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said in a statement today.

"IC designers are striving to deliver energy-efficient products, and this is aligned to strategies towards energy conservation and sustainability. As such, they look to adopt the smart power design techniques as well as advanced power technologies to meet this objective," he said, adding that SilTerra will be leveraging on its proven process technology, foundry design kits and intellectual property to deliver optimum energy-efficient products.

On July 26, DNeX announced that it has completed the acquisition of 60% equity interest in SilTerra from Khazanah Nasional Bhd for RM168.3 million cash, making it the majority shareholder of SilTerra.

DNeX's partner Beijing Integrated Circuit Advanced Manufacturing and High-End Equipment Equity Investment Fund Center (Limited Partnership) (CGP Fund) owns the remaining 40% stake in the nation’s largest chipmaker.

CTOS growth on track
----------------------
Tuesday, 03 Aug 2021

PETALING JAYA: CTOS Digital Bhd is expected to see healthy growth prospects on the back of strong demand for its products and services.The credit reporting agency noted that, for instance, its comprehensive portfolio review product is registering good take-up rates.

Meanwhile, other products such as eKYC (electronic know your customer), fraud detection application IDGuard Fraud Bureau, and digital solution CAD are also churning in higher income for the group’s key accounts segment. Its commercial segment, on the other hand, is expected to rebound once the lockdown ends.

CTOS serves three distinct types of customers – key accounts, commercial and direct-to-consumer.

Its key accounts segment comprises the group’s highest revenue-generating customers as well as other selected customers, such as those with complex requirements or well-recognised brands.

Its commercial segment, on the other hand, comprises the group’s Malaysian segment commercial customers other than key-accounts customers and all commercial customers included within the international segment, while its direct-to-consumer segment comprises the group’s retail consumers.

According to Nomura Securities Research, there is now more visibility on the segmental performance of CTOS following an investor group meeting it hosted with the company’s management.

The brokerage reiterated a “buy” call on CTOS, with a higher target price of RM1.80, compared with RM1.45 previously.

“We are more confident of CTOS’ segmental growth outlook following its recently reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021,” Nomura said.

Nomura adjusted its revenue estimates for CTOS for the financial years (FY) ending Dec 31, 2022 and 2023 up by 4% each, mainly coming from positive revisions in the key accounts segment and normalisation of the CCRIS (central credit reference information) fee waiver.

The brokerage’s earnings estimates for the group, on the other hand, were revised up marginally by 2% each for FY22 and FY23, as it conservatively built in some cost increases from headcount and new products development.

The new target price for CTOS is based a target price-earnings multiple to 55 times (from 45 times), and revised earnings per share of 3.28 sen for FY22.

On the group’s recent acquisition of a minority stake in RAM Holdings, Nomura said CTOS’ management believes there is room to realise incremental revenue/customer synergies from the rating agency, especially for its key accounts segment, which are looking for additional data and products (such as ESG ratings).

“RAM’s scoring and reports can augment CTOS’ data and can be offered to key accounts as a value-added solution. CTOS will be collaborating with RAM to explore these avenues.

“At the moment, given that CTOS’ stake in RAM is around 4.6%, it will not be equity-accounting RAM earnings in our view, but this might change in the future should CTOS increase its shareholding,” Nomura said.

According to Nomura, CTOS expected the results of the tax incentive review sometime in September-November 2021.

“On new products such as tenants screening and used vehicle reports, management mentioned that new products typically take one to two years for reaching mainstream usage,” it added.

For the first half of 2021, CTOS’ key accounts segment posted a growth run-rate of 24% year-on-year (y-o-y), and its comprehensive portfolio review product demand is seeing good take-up, and growth in revenue is contributed by other products such as eKYC, IDGuard Fraud Bureau, and CAD.

For the commercial segment, revenue for the first half of 2021 was up 10% y-o-y, and CTOS expected the slowdown in activations to reverse once the lockdowns end and activations/ transactions pick up.

For the direct-to-consumer segment, revenue for the first half of 2021 was up 104% y-o-y, as downloads of myCTOS score reports increased sharply from a very low base.

'The war has changed,' CDC says, calling for new response to Delta variant
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

-Delta variant as contagious as chickenpox
-Breakthrough infections' can spread disease
-Even those vaccinated should wear masks, says CDC
-Healthcare in parts of world overwhelmed, says WHO
-New restrictions in hard-hit Asia

July 30 (Reuters) - The war against COVID-19 has changed because of the highly contagious Delta variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said, proposing a clearer message, mandatory vaccines for health workers and a return to universal masking.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-announces-vaccination-plan-18-49-year-olds-2021-07-30/

CTOS Digital buys minority stake in RAM for RM10m
------------------------------------------------
Thursday, 29 Jul 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: Credit reporting company CTOS Digital Bhd is buying a 4.6% stake in rating agency RAM Holdings Bhd from CIMB Bank Bhd for RM10.05mil.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia on Thursday it had entered into a share purchase agreement with CIMB to buy the stake, comprising 462,500 shares.

CTOS Digital group chief executive officer Dennis Martin said: “We believe there are strong synergies in both product offerings and customer base between both companies which we will look to realise on moving forward.”

Prospect:

KOSSAN has delivered its highest-ever PBT of RM1.40 billion, driven by the higher average selling price (ASP) and demand for the Group’s glove products.

As we move into the 2nd half of 2021, with the on-going vaccinations and higher vaccination rates recorded in the developed and developing countries, Covid-19 cases categorised as severe has declined. As the demand for gloves eases, the ASP will decline on a GRADUAL basis. The Group expects the results for the remaining quarters of 2021 to be satisfactory.

Post-pandemic, the demand for gloves will continue to undergo STRUCTURAL GROWTH as a result of increased healthcare standards and hygiene awareness in both the medical and non-medical sectors.

Mr Brahmal Vasudevan - the genius - is a highly respected Private Equity fund manager in Asia- -

He will take CTOS to greater heights and turn CTOS to a multi bagger-

1st step - rope in big time foreign/connerstone investors- Done
2nd step - mop up the small free float of shares held by public- in progress
3rd step. -promote CTOS as a super growth stock in Asia - in progress
4rd step - push this monopolistic Gem to rm 2.80 by end of year- just be patient

To achieve max returns- Buy and hold till year end.

Martin (CEO of CTOS) ) notes that more than 75% of revenue is recurring, with the remainder being one-time transaction-based revenue.

For FY2020, CTOS saw its net profit fall 2% to RM40.3 million from RM41.2 million a year earlier.

Martin explains that the drop in profit was a result of the loss in investment in CIBI in the Philippines. “Our entire 51% in CIBI will be carved out before CTOS lists as CIBI is loss-making and requires more investment at this moment, and will be a distraction to CTOS and its management.

CTOS has the option to buy back CIBI at a later stage.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------

newbie8080 Well, Brahmal entry in CTOS was around 0.20 in 2014 and he already made a cool 600% return after disposing 40% stake during IPO.

Depends whether CTOS able to continue growing at 20%-30% pa as he envisioned.

He made a smart move to remove CIBI which is the major contributor to overall growth for CTOS in the last 7 years.

Well, another IPO for CIBI later in their home country and we missed that

https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2021/07/23/ampang-hospitals-oxygen-problem-sees-record-covid-19-deaths/

Here’s Why The WHO thinks - ‘The Worst Is Yet To Come’ From Coronavirus
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Iain Martin Forbes Staff

The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had stark words on Monday for world leaders, and their efforts to contain the pandemic. He warned that the “worst is yet to come” from the pandemic if governments around the world do not adopt the right strategies.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2020/06/30/heres-why-the-who-thinks-the-worst-is-yet-to-come-from-coronavirus/?sh=69cc5ab17c49

WHO chief warns pandemic is a ‘test’ and the world is failing it
-----------------------------------------------------------
21 July 2021, 07:16

The Covid pandemic is a test and the world is failing it, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.

Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Tokyo, ahead of the games.

He said that anyone who believed the pandemic was over because cases had dropped in their country was "living in a fool's paradise".

The expert also predicted that 100,000 people would die between now and the end of the Olympics on 8 August.

WHO: Delta variant spreading worldwide 'at scorching pace'
-----------------------------------------------------------
WORLD
Tuesday, 13 Jul 2021

GENEVA, Switzerland (Bernama): World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned of "devastating outbreaks" caused by the delta variant of COVID-19, saying that the new strain of the virus was infecting people "at a scorching pace."

"Last week marked the fourth consecutive week of increasing cases of Covid-19 globally, " Tedros said at a virtual press conference from Geneva, adding that "after ten weeks of decline, deaths are increasing again."

CTOS Digital attracts record number of cornerstone investors
--------------------------------------------------------------
A record total of 23 cornerstone investors participated in the institutional offering of the IPO, including renowned names such as the Employees Provident Fund Board, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Aberdeen Standard Investment, AIA, Eastspring Investments, FIL Investment Management and JP Morgan Asset Management.

The tremendous support from notable local and global institutional investors reflects their confidence in our strong track record and growth trajectory going forward.

CTOS Digital’s product offerings have expanded beyond credit reporting instruments to include a breadth of digital solutions to support every stage of the customer lifecycle.

All of this comes on the back of steady financial growth, making us the leading credit reporting agency in Malaysia.

To cater to the robust environment in Malaysia, we have steadily introduced new products each year, including CTOS eKYC, CTOS Consumer and SME Score, CTOS ID-Guard, the Malaysian banking industry’s first fraud bureau, and many more.

This is in line with our plan to introduce more digital solutions to ultimately build a dynamic, stable and agile financial ecosystem in Malaysia.

incidentally, there will be a 6 month lock in period ( moratorium) for cornerstone investors and also the major shareholder-Creador PE Fund.

CTOS Digital garnered 23 cornerstone investors in its book-building exercise, with renowned names such as Employees Provident Fund Board, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Aberdeen Standard Investment, AIA, Eastspring Investments, FIL Investment Management and JP Morgan Asset Management.

CTOS group chief executive officer Dennis Martin said the company will focus on providing more innovative digital solutions across the entire lifecycle of financial institutions, companies, and small and medium enterprises, as well as supporting individuals on their own financial literacy.

“We will also continue to grow our product offerings and customer reach by expanding organically and through acquisitions within the ASEAN region. We believe that the IPO proceeds raised, coupled by our strong financials, will help us achieve our ambitions.

“While growing our track record, we remain committed [to] finding the right balance between reinvesting our profits for sustainable growth and generating shareholders’ returns,” he said in a statement.

CTOS targets a payout ratio of 60% of profit after tax and minority interests (PATAMI) for each financial year on a consolidated basis after taking into account working capital, maintenance capital and committed capital requirements of the group.

Mr Brahmal Vasudevan is a highly respected Private Equity fund manager in Asia- Just look at how he managed to promote Mr DIY -

I guess he will employ the same strategy for CTOS -

1st step - rope in big time foreign/connerstone investors,
2nd step - mop up the small free float of shares held by public.
3rd step. -promote CTOS as a super growth stock in Asia.
4rd step - push this monopolistic Gem to rm 2.80 by end of year.

To achieve max returns- Buy and hold till year end.

Fair Valuation by UOB & Kenanga
---------------------------------

1- UOB Kay Hian Malaysia Research had a fair value of RM1.32 for the shares.

The research house said CTOS is well-positioned to prosper in the Asean credit bureau ecosystem, riding on its diversified customer portfolio, dominant market share with extensive database (more than 30 years) and ambitious regional growth strategy across multiple markets.

The large unbanked population and prospective credit growth in under-penetrated emerging countries where CTOS serves also offers plenty of opportunities for supercharged earnings growth.


2- Kenanga Research has initiated coverage on CTOS Digital Bhd on expectation that the credit reporting agency stands to benefit from a growing customer base and expansion of product offerings in an underpenetrated market.

The research house said it believes CTOS deserves a greater premium over its IPO price of RM1.10 per share, which represents a valuation of FY22 price-earnings of 35.5x versus about 31x of its regional peers'.

It pinned a fair value of RM1.40 to the counter, pegged to FY22E 45x PER.

"Despite beating their report consensus by a mile, the outcome by the analysts were still downgrading Gloves.. It is bewildering to market observers and even more so to retail investors".
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Until today, most of the glove companies have continued to exceed analysts’ forecasted earnings performance. Despite beating their report consensus by a mile, the outcome by the analysts were still a downgrade. It is bewildering to market observers and even more so to retail investors.

They are not long term in nature similar to many fund managers who are looking at it short term. So when I see some of the analysts changing valuation methods mid-way, or extending their forecast horizon to the financial year 2023 or 2024, it doesn’t surprise me anymore. The end justifies the means. People will do whatever is necessary to find reasons to justify an outcome which they want to see. It is human nature.

If investors are able conduct a valuation objectively, taking into consideration peer comparison, as well as intrinsic value of the company measuring the retained earnings, balance sheet and cash flow, they would know that the glove companies of Malaysia today is UNDERVALUED , regardless of the near term sentiment.To be fair, I have always liked glove companies even before Covid-19. Although I like glove stocks, I did not imagine how explosive their earnings potential would be. At times, I feel this is a tough sector due to the intense competition within the industry. Yet, I like the management of glove companies (the glove sector have some of the best entrepreneurs in our country) and it is a sector in which Malaysia has an undisputed leadership position in the world with over 67% market share.

Throughout 2020 during the hype of glove stocks, glove companies were the darlings of investors especially retail investors. Many chased the stocks on the way up and many were caught on the way down when foreign funds and local institutions exited. After the sell down, most, if not all glove stocks, are net cash as at July 2021.

When the glove stocks sell off exacerbated, first by foreign funds followed by local institutions, one brilliant local fund manager raised this point to me to indicate how the sector is undervalued.

The cash position and accumulated income of glove companies will only keep growing in the years to come even if ASP decline gradually in the future. This is because even at US$25 per carton pre-Covid-19, the major glove companies were profitable.

This means if the share price remains stagnant at this level, the market cap do not increase in tandem (share price does not move up in tandem with earnings), then sooner or later the percentage of cash will become 100% of the market cap. Of course, realistically this should not happen as share price logically moves with earnings.

So for those, especially retail investors who are worried that glove stocks share price will keep plummeting, well it will only happen if it starts making continuous losses in the coming quarters in the future.

If that is what you fear and think will happen, it is better not to invest in glove stocks. If you think that won’t happen, then you have nothing to fear.

Ultimately, whether to invest in glove companies or any companies for that matter, one should believe in the fundamentals and the long term horizon and not follow the herd mentality. It is best to have faith in the reported numbers you see every quarter and the management of the company you invest in. They are the ones that will grow your wealth as a shareholder, news articles or reports won’t.

I am an optimist by nature so I tend to look at things with a more positive bias. I have learnt over the years that sometimes when the share price is plummeting, all the negative news flow seem to come at once.

Ng Zhu Hann, is the author of Once Upon A Time In Bursa. He is a lawyer and former chief strategist of a Fortune 500 Corporation.

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2021/07/17/should-retail-investors-still-believe-in-the-glove-sector

This reflects the ferocity of the deadly Delta virus - yup take care folks and get vaccinated.!

Posted by pjseow > Jul 15, 2021 3:16 PM | Report Abuse

Aiyo, I just read a.short news that today number of cases reached 13, 215 . Scary. Pls take care .

Disposable Gloves Market Size to Reach Revenues of USD 32.24 Billion by 2026 - Arizton
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Thu, July 15, 2021

The global disposable gloves market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10.84% during the period 2020−2026.

COVID-19 impacted the disposable glove market positively, the demand skyrocketed during the pandemic. Many vendors are already filled with the orders for 2020, and 2021. The vendors are working with full capacity continuously to supply the orders. Due to the pandemic and the global lockdown, there is a huge shortage of raw materials, which is increasing the cost of disposable gloves in the market.

Demand is set to surge further with the worldwide spread of the nasty Delta Variant.

Windfall tax on glove makers will send wrong signal to investors: Tengku Zafrul
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Tengku Zafrul expressed optimism that Malaysia's 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) would grow within the range of 6.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent as projected by the government.

KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of a windfall tax on glove companies that have benefited from the pandemic is a non-consistent policy which will a send a wrong signal to investors and shoo them away from investing in the country, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

He said should the windfall tax be imposed, it would make investors think twice before investing in the country, or even opt to invest in the neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Singapore which do not impose such taxes.

"You can (impose such tax), but you might send a wrong signal, especially for an open economy like Malaysia," he told Bernama after appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's "Ruang Bicara” programme titled "Budget 2021 the Rakyat’s Victory” here Saturday evening.

Tengku Zafrul said policies have to be for the long term and not based on short-term gains.

Hospitalizations rising again in USA as delta variant spreads among the unvaccinated.

JUL 13 2021 CNBC

KEY POINTS

Cases are rising in Missouri, Arkansas, Nevada, Utah and Florida at higher rates than in other states over the past couple of weeks.

The delta variant makes up at least 83% of all new cases in Utah, compared with about 50% nationwide
.
Experts are still split on whether or not there will be a need for booster shots in the fall or winter.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/13/hospitalizations-rising-again-as-delta-variant-spreads-among-the-unvaccinated-doctors-say-.html

Pada 13 Julai 2021: Jumlah kes COVID-19 yang dilaporkan adalah 11,079 kes.

WHO: Delta variant spreading worldwide 'at scorching pace'
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WORLD
Tuesday, 13 Jul 2021 REUTERS

GENEVA, Switzerland (Bernama): World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned of "devastating outbreaks" caused by the delta variant of COVID-19, saying that the new strain of the virus was infecting people "at a scorching pace."

"Last week marked the fourth consecutive week of increasing cases of Covid-19 globally, " Tedros said at a virtual press conference from Geneva, adding that "after ten weeks of decline, deaths are increasing again."

Delta Variant - rearing its ugly head in Europe.

https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/Hedgefunds/2021-07-12-story-h1567926054-Will_DELTA_VARIANT_BE_KILLER_NEXT.jsp

Hundreds of Thai medical workers infected despite Sinovac vaccinations
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By Reuters Staff
JULY 11, 20215:23 PMUPDATED

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s health ministry said on Sunday more than 600 medical workers who received two doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine have been infected with COVID-19, as authorities weigh giving booster doses to raise immunity.

Of the 677,348 medical personnel who received two doses of Sinovac, 618 became infected, health ministry data from April to July showed. A nurse has died and another medical worker is in critical condition.

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-thailand/hundreds-of-thai-medical-workers-infected-despite-sinovac-vaccinations-idUSL4N2ON059?edition-redirect=uk

US ‘very concerned’ Covid variants could hamper global economic recovery, says Yellen
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VENICE, July 11 — US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday she was “very concerned” about the risk that new variants of coronavirus could pose to the global economic recovery from the pandemic.

“We are very concerned about the Delta variant and other variants that could emerge and threaten recovery,” she told reporters following a G20 meeting in Venice, Italy.

“We are a connected global economy, what happens in any part of the world affects all other countries.”

In their final statement issued late Saturday, G20 finance ministers warned that the spread of new variants was a “downside risk” to the economic recovery, while also warning of the dangers of differing paces of vaccination campaigns.

“We recognise the importance of working together to speed the process of vaccination and have the goal of wanting to vaccinate 70 percent of the world’s population next year,” Yellen said.

She said “a lot has been done” to finance the purchase of vaccines by developing countries, but said the world needed to “do something more and to be more effective” with respect to responding to outbreaks around the world, such as sending therapeutics and protective equipment.

Foxconn, Dagang NeXchange in Talks on Electric-Vehicle Ventures
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July 9, 2021 3:22 am ET | WS Journal

Malaysian information communication technology company Dagang NeXchange Bhd., or DNeX, is in talks with shareholder Foxconn about collaborating in the production of semiconductors and businesses related to the electric-vehicle value chain.

The early stage talks are part of SilTerra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.’s expansion goals, DNeX managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir told The Wall Street Journal. SilTerra is a semiconductor specialist that DNeX is acquiring on expectations of strong multiyear demand for chips.

“Our immediate focus is to penetrate the booming EV market,” Mr. Syed Zainal said. He added that SilTerra has the technical capabilities to develop “a range of new products catered for EVs.”

SilTerra, Malaysia’s only wafer fabrication specialist, plans to move into manufacturing higher-margin products that make use of micro-electromechanical systems and silicon photonics, Mr. Syed Zainal said. The former enables various functions ranging from gesture control, navigation and smart interfacing that facilitate autonomous driving, while the latter can be deployed as sensors for EVs.

Mr. Syed Zainal said other priorities for SilTerra include improving plant utilization and efficiencies as well as new capital investment to ease production bottlenecks amid strong demand for chips. The company expects chip demand to outstrip supply up to 2024.

Foxconn, Dagang NeXchange in Talks on Electric-Vehicle Ventures
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July 9, 2021 3:22 am ET | WS Journal

Malaysian information communication technology company Dagang NeXchange Bhd., or DNeX, is in talks with shareholder Foxconn about collaborating in the production of semiconductors and businesses related to the electric-vehicle value chain.

The early stage talks are part of SilTerra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.’s expansion goals, DNeX managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir told The Wall Street Journal. SilTerra is a semiconductor specialist that DNeX is acquiring on expectations of strong multiyear demand for chips.

“Our immediate focus is to penetrate the booming EV market,” Mr. Syed Zainal said. He added that SilTerra has the technical capabilities to develop “a range of new products catered for EVs.”

SilTerra, Malaysia’s only wafer fabrication specialist, plans to move into manufacturing higher-margin products that make use of micro-electromechanical systems and silicon photonics, Mr. Syed Zainal said. The former enables various functions ranging from gesture control, navigation and smart interfacing that facilitate autonomous driving, while the latter can be deployed as sensors for EVs.

Mr. Syed Zainal said other priorities for SilTerra include improving plant utilization and efficiencies as well as new capital investment to ease production bottlenecks amid strong demand for chips. The company expects chip demand to outstrip supply up to 2024.

Foxconn aims to increase its autonomous capability similar to Tesla by 2022
Jun 23, 2021

Foxconn is planning to launch a driver assistance feature similar to Tesla and Nissan Motor sometime later this year. The company has plans to increase its autonomous capability by 2022. Foxconn’s new plan is to produce a kit, including both software and hardware, that will help the new EV manufacturers to scale up quickly.

Shinpei Kato who is in charge of Foxconn’s autonomous driving software revealed that the EV Kit will provide Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) which are mainly concerned with automated steering, braking, and accelerating to support the driver. Level 4 autonomous driving is scheduled for 2022.

This bodes well for Dnex as Foxconn is poised to be its major customer.

Going Green or Renewable ( solar) energy is vital going forward.

Malaysia-based suppliers risk RM269b by not going green: Standard Chartered
Published 17 Jun 2021, 5:15 pm

A study by a banking and financial services company showed that the country’s supply chain is risking more than US$65 billion (RM269 billion) if they fail to curb their carbon emissions.

Standard Chartered said that if Malaysian suppliers fail to transition alongside their multinational company (MNC) partners, "this could mean a loss in export revenue of US$65.3 billion".

“However, the study also reveals a US$1.6 trillion market opportunity for suppliers who decarbonise in line with their MNC partners’ net-zero plans,” it said in a statement yesterday.

The study entitled “Carbon Dated”, found that 15 percent of MNCs have already begun removing suppliers that endanger their transition plans, while MNCs are expected to exclude 35 percent of their present suppliers in their transition from carbon.

Many investors have the vision to spot a diamond when they see one.

Few investors have the courage to buy a diamond selling cheap. Very few investors have the VISION (to spot the diamond), the COURAGE (to buy low ) and the PATIENCE to wait for the diamond to reflect its true brilliance for a very profitable investment.

PATIENCE is the greatest jewel of every successful investor.

Value investors are just accumulating - a slow and steady rise towards Rm2.50 is very much preferred. .