CGS-CIMB Research said the surprise move indicates that policymakers may be more pragmatic in future MPC decisions, particularly if financial flows and the ringgit remain orderly, leaving open the possibility that the next cut may happen quicker than 2H20, which is its base case assumption.

It pointed out OPR cuts are positive for cyclical sectors such as property (top pick: Sime Darby Property), auto (top pick: BERMAZ AUTO), and consumer (top pick: Power Root) due to the increase in consumers

KUALA LUMPUR (March 15): CIMB IB Research has maintained its “Add” rating on Berjaya Food Bhd (BJFood) at RM1.51 with a higher target price (TP) of RM2.23 (from RM1.91) and said BJFood’s 9MFY4/19 core net profit of RM22.3 million was ahead of expectations, at 89% of house and 85% of Bloomberg consensus full-year estimates.

In a note March 14, the research house said the strong 41.9% year-on-year growth in 9MFY4/19 core earnings was propelled by strong Starbucks performance, and a turnaround in its KRR business.

“Maintain Add, with a higher TP of RM2.23 (24x CY20F P/E),” it said.

Bauto juga Ada syer Dalam inokom

BJFOOD (5196): BERJAYA FOOD BHD - Overview | I3investor


BERJAYA FOOD BHD
Last Price Today's Change
1.28 -0.02 (1.54%)

Board: MAIN
Sector: Consumer
Avg Volume (4 weeks): 307,931
4 Weeks Range: 1.26 - 1.38
52 Weeks Range: 1.26 - 1.81
Average Price Target: 1.69
Price Target Upside/Downside: +0.41
Berjaya Food Bhd is an investment holding company. Through its subsidiary companies, it focuses on development and operation of restaurant and cafe chains and retail outlets in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. The company is engaged in the operation of the Starbucks coffee chain of cafes and retail outlets, development and operation of the Kenny Rogers Roasters chain of restaurants featuring rotisserie-roasted chicken as core product and sale of food and beverage in Malaysia. It operates in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Other Southeast Asian countries of which majority of the revenue is generated from Malaysia through the sale of food and beverages.
Date Close
22/01/2020 1.30
21/01/2020 1.30
20/01/2020 1.29
17/01/2020 1.31
16/01/2020 1.29
15/01/2020 1.31
14/01/2020 1.33
13/01/2020 1.36
10/01/2020 1.38
09/01/2020 1.28
08/01/2020 1.29
07/01/2020 1.35
06/01/2020 1.35
03/01/2020 1.33
02/01/2020 1.38
31/12/2019 1.38
30/12/2019 1.36
27/12/2019 1.36
26/12/2019 1.36

ya, just grab, VT will join u soon probably :)

TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 10-Jan-2020 Acquired 50,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 09-Jan-2020 Acquired 50,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 08-Jan-2020 Acquired 50,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 07-Jan-2020 Acquired 100,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 06-Jan-2020 Acquired 100,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 26-Dec-2019 Disposed 2,000,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA CORPORATION BERHAD 23-Dec-2019 Acquired 20,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA GROUP BERHAD 23-Dec-2019 Acquired 20,000 0.000 View Detail
JUARA SEJATI SDN BHD 23-Dec-2019 Acquired 20,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 23-Dec-2019 Acquired 20,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA CORPORATION BERHAD 20-Dec-2019 Acquired 220,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA GROUP BERHAD 20-Dec-2019 Acquired 220,000 0.000 View Detail
JUARA SEJATI SDN BHD 20-Dec-2019 Acquired 220,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 20-Dec-2019 Acquired 220,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA CORPORATION BERHAD 19-Dec-2019 Acquired 160,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA GROUP BERHAD 19-Dec-2019 Acquired 160,000 0.000 View Detail
JUARA SEJATI SDN BHD 19-Dec-2019 Acquired 160,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 19-Dec-2019 Acquired 160,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA CORPORATION BERHAD 18-Dec-2019 Acquired 340,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA GROUP BERHAD 18-Dec-2019 Acquired 340,000 0.000 View Detail
JUARA SEJATI SDN BHD 18-Dec-2019 Acquired 340,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 18-Dec-2019 Acquired 340,000 0.000 View Detail
TAN SRI DATO' SERI VINCENT TAN CHEE YIOUN 18-Dec-2019 Disposed 1,410,000 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA CORPORATION BERHAD 17-Dec-2019 Acquired 49,800 0.000 View Detail
BERJAYA GROUP BERHAD 17-Dec-2019 Acquired 49,800 0.000

Virus comes and resolves, AirAsia is here to stay. :)

Net impact , oil price fell less virus news ? :)

After cny , virus not spread aggressively in China, AirAsia will recover

AirAsia X, Philippines seems ok too :)

The ongoing eruption of Taal volcano near Manila is not expected to dent economic growth in the first quarter, with farm and property damage limited to surrounding towns, Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.

MANILA: Philippine economic growth accelerated further in the fourth quarter after the government boosted infrastructure spending.

Gross domestic product expanded 6.4% in the October to December period, picking up pace from 6% in the third quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority said in a briefing in Manila.

The showing matched the median forecast among 23 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

The recovery wasn’t enough to power GDP growth to meet the government’s 6%-6.5% target for all of 2019. Economic growth averaged 5.9% last year.

Key Insights

A delay in passing the national budget in 2019 limited government spending and weighed on GDP growth in the first half of the year.

Spending has since rebounded, particularly for infrastructure projects, and is expected to continue after the government extended the validity of last year’s spending plan and approved the 2020 budget on time.

The Philippine central bank is prepared to cut its key interest rate by another 25 basis points in the first quarter of the year, despite inflation quickening in December, Governor Benjamin Diokno said Jan. 7.

The ongoing eruption of Taal volcano near Manila is not expected to dent economic growth in the first quarter, with farm and property damage limited to surrounding towns, Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Jan. 15. - Bloomberg

Foreigners like AirAsia :)

OTHERS AIRASIA GROUP BERHAD ("AIRASIA" OR THE "COMPANY") - ANNOUNCEMENT ON PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGN SHAREHOLDING IN AIRASIA AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2019
AIRASIA GROUP BERHAD

Type Announcement
Subject OTHERS
Description AIRASIA GROUP BERHAD ("AIRASIA" OR THE "COMPANY")
- ANNOUNCEMENT ON PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGN SHAREHOLDING IN AIRASIA AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2019
AirAsia wishes to announce for public information that as at 31 December 2019, 26.30% of the issued and paid-up share capital of AirAsia of 3,341,974,082 ordinary shares were held by foreigners.


The percentage of ownership of shares in the Company by foreigners has not exceeded the limit of 45% of the Company's total issued and paid-up share capital ("Prescribed Limit").



Pursuant to the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) (Foreign Ownership) Regulations 1996, shares held by foreigners which are within the Prescribed Limit shall be entitled to all rights and entitlements attached to the shares.


This announcement is dated 08 January 2020.





Announcement Info
Company Name AIRASIA GROUP BERHAD
Stock Name AIRASIA
Date Announced 08 Jan 2020
Category General Announcement for PLC
Reference Number GA1-08012020-00014

:)

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 23): Investors are going bargain hunting in Malaysia as they expect government policy changes to start bearing fruit.

Global funds from Aviva Investors to BNP Paribas SA are picking out cheap deals in the country after its benchmark stock index had the worst year since 2008. Sentiment appears to be on the mend as inflows into Malaysian equities swell to US$121 million so far in January, the biggest monthly purchase in a year.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has sought to rein in debt, restructure state-linked firms and spur economic growth since returning to power two years ago. That has led to billion-dollar projects being revised or canceled and leadership changes at the country’s biggest companies — moves that have roiled the markets. Still, the worst may be over.

“I consider Malaysia a rare gem as there are not many opportunities in this region where you get to invest in a market with a new government carrying out reforms,” said Clint Loh, a regional fund manager at Phillip Capital Management Sdn Bhd. “Others appear to flee on herd mentality, but there are pockets of opportunities to generate returns on this backdrop.”

Sentiment also got a boost after the central bank rolled out measures to deepen onshore markets ahead of a decision by FTSE Russell on whether to retain ringgit bonds in its World Government Bond Index. On Wednesday, policy makers unexpectedly cut the benchmark rate to the lowest since 2011.

Malaysia’s economy is set to expand 4.8% this year, from an estimated 4.7% in 2019, as receding trade-war concerns and infrastructure spending spurs investment.

So far, 2020 has been good to some Malaysian assets. The ringgit has gained 0.6%, the best performance in Asia after Indonesia’s rupiah and the Chinese yuan. Benchmark 10-year bonds have climbed while the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index of stocks has declined 0.7%.

Here’s a selection of views on Malaysian assets:

Aviva Investors
“We have a positive outlook for the ringgit and recently added a long position in our portfolios,” said Stuart Ritson, a fund manager at Aviva Investors. “We believe the ringgit is among the cheapest currencies in Asia and one that should benefit from a stabilization and anticipated recovery in global growth.”

Malaysia’s wider trade surplus will also support the currency, he added.

Barings
“At the bottom-up stock level, the Malaysian market does offer compelling investment ideas that have done extremely well last year and we expect to continue to find such ideas in 2020,” said Soo Hai Lim, head of Asia ex-China equities at Barings. Overall, the drivers for Malaysian stocks’ underperformance continue into this year, as improvements in US-China trade relations and the 5G roll-out prompt investors to look toward North Asian markets instead, he said.

Credit Suisse
“If people are looking for a defensive market, Malaysia will be our first pick,” said Dan Fineman, co-head of equity strategy for Asia Pacific at Credit Suisse Group AG, who doesn’t expect the country’s stocks to outperform against the moderate recovery in Asia more broadly. “Much of the market is still locked up in local long-term money,” he added.

Deutsche Bank
“Our view is for Malaysian government bonds to continue to provide an attractive total return in 2020,” said Rahul Bhan, head of Asia local markets trading, Malaysia, for Deutsche Bank AG. “The central bank remains accommodative, inflation is benign and there is a resurgence in demand from offshore clients.”

The bank expects the ringgit to gain toward 4.00 a US dollar, he added. “Malaysian government bond yields should stay range bound and our strategy remains to buy on dips.”

RHB Asset Management
RHB Asset Management Sdn Bhd expects the country’s equities to be supported by a corporate earnings recovery, low valuation compared with regional peers and improving exports amid reduced trade tensions, said Petrina Chong, head of Malaysia equity research.

The fund favors sectors including construction as major projects restart, health care due to higher state allocation, as well as plantation as palm oil prices recover, she said. RHB expects potential mergers in banking and telecommunications, and continued restructuring of government-linked companies in 2020.

State Street Global Advisors
“I expect both the ringgit and ringgit bonds to moderately appreciate,” said Ng Kheng Siang, Asia Pacific head of fixed income at State Street Global Advisors. “With global bond yields expected to stay at the low range for some time, investors may seek out exposures in emerging market bond segments which offer decent yield while fundamentals remain sound — such as Malaysia.”

In terms of data, AirAsia started much earlier, more data than grab :)


Springtime "Malaysia has said it prefers bidders whose equity is controlled by local companies." From The Edge. Good chance of AA getting the digital bank license as against Grab
23/01/2020 10:29 AM

Mas and AirAsia will be merged, likely. SIA also run budget airlines. Last time, mas bodoh as GLC or interference from politicians in business decision -making to let AirAsia grows in the budget segment

AirAsia is very likely to get digital bank license in Malaysia


Malaysia has said it prefers bidders whose equity is controlled by local companies.


.Under Malaysia's draft proposals, digital banks have to offer products and services to address market gaps in "underserved and unserved segments" and maintain RM100mil in capital initially and ramp that up to RM300mil.

- Reuters

AirAsia is very likely to get digital bank license in Malaysia


Malaysia has said it prefers bidders whose equity is controlled by local companies.


.Under Malaysia's draft proposals, digital banks have to offer products and services to address market gaps in "underserved and unserved segments" and maintain RM100mil in capital initially and ramp that up to RM300mil.

- Reuters

Oil price fell plus virus contained, good for AirAsia :)


NEW YORK: World stock markets gained back some ground on Wednesday as investors took heart from measures to curb the spread of a flu-like virus from China, while oil prices tumbled on a forecast for a market surplus.

Worries about contagion of the coronavirus and its effect on the global economy, particularly as millions in China travel for upcoming Lunar New Year festivities, had knocked the world's top equity markets off record peaks.

Deaths from the coronavirus rose to 17 on Wednesday, with more than 540 cases confirmed. Cases of the previously unknown virus have emerged as far away as the United States.

The outbreak revived memories of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002-03, a virus outbreak that killed nearly 800 people worldwide and hit Hong Kong's economy particularly hard.

But China's response to the coronavirus outbreak, including some travel restrictions and regular updates by the government, reassured some investors.

"The call here is not that the virus is done or nipped in the bud by any means," said Kay Van-Petersen, global macro strategist at Saxo Capital Markets. "But there have been no big further reported outbreaks, and the response from the Chinese authorities has been very, very positive."

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 stock index ended nominally higher after touching a record earlier in the session.

Among currencies, the safe-haven Japanese yen and the Swiss franc were little changed against the dollar as worries over the virus abated.

China's coronavirus had some lingering effects on oil markets. Concerns of dropping demand, along with a forecast of a market surplus from the International Energy Agency, pushed down crude prices.

Brent crude ended down $1.38, or 2.1%, at $63.21 while U.S. crude fell $1.64, or 2.8%, to settle at $56.74.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 9.77 points, or 0.03%, to 29,186.27, the S&P 500 gained 0.96 points, or 0.03%, to 3,321.75, and the Nasdaq Composite added 12.96 points, or 0.14%, to 9,383.77.

U.S. 2-year, 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields were little changed. Earlier, they hit two-week lows after the Bank of Canada held interest rates steady and opened the door for possible easing amid an economic slowdown, rekindling worries about global growth.

"For Canada to sort of change its outlook fairly quickly opens up the possibility that easing could occur elsewhere too," said Jim Vogel, senior rates strategist at FHN Financial in Memphis.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes were little changed in price to yield 1.7691%, from 1.769% late on Tuesday.

Across the Atlantic, Italian government bonds had their biggest sell-off in a month after reports the leader of the country's co-governing 5-Star movement had resigned.

The pan-European STOXX 600 equity index lost 0.08%, and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.10%. Emerging market stocks rose 0.58%.

The dollar index fell 0.01%, with the euro up 0.07% to $1.109.

The Japanese yen strengthened 0.01% versus the greenback at 109.88 per dollar, while sterling was last trading at $1.3135, up 0.67%.

Spot gold added 0.04% to $1,558.35 an ounce. - Reuters

airasia has big data from all its passengers, surely boleh dapat digital bank license :)

Grab, Razer, AirAsia among firms exploring bids for Malaysia digital bank licence
Author: Tan KW | Publish date: Wed, 22 Jan 2020, 9:48 PM

SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR: Ride-hailing group Grab, gaming firm Razer, AirAsia, telecoms firm Axiata and lender CIMB are among companies looking to apply for digital banking licences in Malaysia, sources said.

Some of these companies have begun talking to consultancies as they explore a possible foray into digital banking, said the people familiar with the matter.

Across Asia, regulators are opening up banking to new digital players, encouraged by a boom in mobile connectivity and the prospect of tech firms - not shackled to expensive physical branches - offering low-cost financial services.

This month Singapore received 21 applications for five digital bank licences.

In December, Malaysia's central bank announced plans to issue up to five licences to new online banks offering either conventional or Islamic banking under a proposed licensing framework set to be finalised by the end of June.

"Many financial and non-financial institutions are sizing up market opportunities and working with external parties," said one of the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Malaysia has said it prefers bidders whose equity is controlled by local companies.

The people said Razer - whose fintech unit led a consortium for a Singapore application - was in talks with a local conglomerate for a Malaysian licence. Local lenders Hong Leong Bank and Maybank are also considering bidding for a licence, the people said.

Razer Fintech's CEO Lee Li Meng said the company had extensive operations in Malaysia in the digital payments space and would evaluate the digital banking opportunity.

One option for Axiata is to apply through Axiata Digital Services, which houses all of the group's digital ventures and owns the e-wallet Boost. AirAsia's financial services venture, BigPay, operates an e-wallet that comes with a prepaid card.

Ant Financial and Touch n' Go's e-wallet is the largest e-wallet service in Malaysia with 6.9 million registered users. CIMB, which owns a majority stake in Touch n' Go, is exploring a licence bid, the people said.

Axiata Digital said it had signalled interest for digital banking. Grab, AirAsia and Maybank declined to comment. CIMB did not respond to Reuters queries, while Ant Financial said it was too premature to comment.

Under Malaysia's draft proposals, digital banks have to offer products and services to address market gaps in "underserved and unserved segments" and maintain RM100mil in capital initially and ramp that up to RM300mil.

- Reuters

EPF continues to increase its stake in airasia :)

5099 AIRASIA AIRASIA GROUP BERHAD
Changes in Sub. S-hldr's Int (Section 138 of CA 2016)

Particulars of Shareholder 36

Name : EMPLOYEES PROVIDENT FUND BOARD
NRIC/Passport No./Company No. : EPF ACT 1991
Nationality/Country of Incorporation : Malaysia

Address:
Tingkat 19, Bangunan KWSP Jalan Raja Laut 50350 Kuala Lumpur WilayahPersekutuan Malaysia

Descriptions (Class and Nominal Value):
Ordinary Shares


Name and Address of Registered Holder:
You are advised to read the entire contents of the announcement orattachment.To read the entire contents of the announcement or attachment,pleaseaccess the Bursa website at http://www.bursamalaysia.com


Details of Changes

Date of Notice : 20/12/2019

Transactions:
No. Date Transaction Type No of Shares Price (RM)
1. 19/12/2019 Acquired

Airasia - logistics including easy parcel, bigpay (app, mastercard, money remittance, etc), ecommerce, F&B, airlines, now digital bank? :)

dapat digital bank lesen oleh Airasia nanti, pasti harga syer airasia akan melonjak :)

sudah ada bigPay(fintech), kini airasia mau digital bank pula... kayalah nanti :)


Grab, Razer, AirAsia exploring bids for Malaysia digital bank ...
https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/grab-razer-airasia-among-firms-exploring-bids-malaysia-digital-bank-licence-%E2%80%94-sources
13 hours ago ... SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR/HONG KONG (Jan 22): Ride-hailing group Grab, gaming firm Razer, AirAsia, telecoms firm Axiata and lender ...
Grab, Razer, AirAsia among firms exploring bids for Malaysia ...
https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2020/01/22/grab-razer-airasia-among-firms-exploring-bids-for-malaysia-digital-bank-licence
14 hours ago ... Ride-hailing group Grab, gaming firm Razer, AirAsia, telecoms firm Axiata ... This month Singapore received 21 applications for five digital bank ...

OPR cut, more interest saving for AirAsia and consumers

Virus less severe, contained :)


The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 9.77 points, or 0.03%, to 29,186.27, the S&P 500 gained 0.96 points, or 0.03%, to 3,321.75, and the Nasdaq Composite added 12.96 points, or 0.14%, to 9,383.77.

NEW YORK: World stock markets gained back some ground on Wednesday as investors took heart from measures to curb the spread of a flu-like virus from China, while oil prices tumbled on a forecast for a market surplus.

Worries about contagion of the coronavirus and its effect on the global economy, particularly as millions in China travel for upcoming Lunar New Year festivities, had knocked the world's top equity markets off record peaks.

Deaths from the coronavirus rose to 17 on Wednesday, with more than 540 cases confirmed. Cases of the previously unknown virus have emerged as far away as the United States.

The outbreak revived memories of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002-03, a virus outbreak that killed nearly 800 people worldwide and hit Hong Kong's economy particularly hard.

But China's response to the coronavirus outbreak, including some travel restrictions and regular updates by the government, reassured some investors.

"The call here is not that the virus is done or nipped in the bud by any means," said Kay Van-Petersen, global macro strategist at Saxo Capital Markets. "But there have been no big further reported outbreaks, and the response from the Chinese authorities has been very, very positive."

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 stock index ended nominally higher after touching a record earlier in the session.

Among currencies, the safe-haven Japanese yen and the Swiss franc were little changed against the dollar as worries over the virus abated.

China's coronavirus had some lingering effects on oil markets. Concerns of dropping demand, along with a forecast of a market surplus from the International Energy Agency, pushed down crude prices.

Brent crude ended down $1.38, or 2.1%, at $63.21 while U.S. crude fell $1.64, or 2.8%, to settle at $56.74.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 9.77 points, or 0.03%, to 29,186.27, the S&P 500 gained 0.96 points, or 0.03%, to 3,321.75, and the Nasdaq Composite added 12.96 points, or 0.14%, to 9,383.77.

U.S. 2-year, 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields were little changed. Earlier, they hit two-week lows after the Bank of Canada held interest rates steady and opened the door for possible easing amid an economic slowdown, rekindling worries about global growth.

"For Canada to sort of change its outlook fairly quickly opens up the possibility that easing could occur elsewhere too," said Jim Vogel, senior rates strategist at FHN Financial in Memphis.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes were little changed in price to yield 1.7691%, from 1.769% late on Tuesday.

Across the Atlantic, Italian government bonds had their biggest sell-off in a month after reports the leader of the country's co-governing 5-Star movement had resigned.

The pan-European STOXX 600 equity index lost 0.08%, and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.10%. Emerging market stocks rose 0.58%.

The dollar index fell 0.01%, with the euro up 0.07% to $1.109.

The Japanese yen strengthened 0.01% versus the greenback at 109.88 per dollar, while sterling was last trading at $1.3135, up 0.67%.

Spot gold added 0.04% to $1,558.35 an ounce. - Reuters

Boustead, parent company, okkah? :)

PHARMA (7081): PHARMANIAGA BHD - Overview | I3investor


PHARMANIAGA BHD
Last Price Today's Change
2.11 0.00 (0.00%)

Board: MAIN
Sector: Health Care
Avg Volume (4 weeks): 123,010
4 Weeks Range: 2.00 - 2.15
52 Weeks Range: 2.00 - 2.88
Average Price Target: 2.34
Price Target Upside/Downside: +0.23
Date Close
22/01/2020 2.11
21/01/2020 2.09
20/01/2020 2.07
17/01/2020 2.06
16/01/2020 2.05
15/01/2020 2.06
14/01/2020 2.06
13/01/2020 2.08
10/01/2020 2.06
09/01/2020 2.06
08/01/2020 2.01
07/01/2020 2.04
06/01/2020 2.03
03/01/2020 2.05
02/01/2020 2.06
31/12/2019 2.06
30/12/2019 2.09
27/12/2019 2.09
26/12/2019 2.10

:)

52 Weeks Range: 0.915 - 1.60

with the virus like H1N1 emerged again, pharmaniaga's share price surged this morning. Expecting more sales for pharmaniaga as hospitals, etc will buy more vaccines, etc , also another company where Boustead has substantial stake. :)

As Malaysia’s largest listed integrated pharmaceutical group, Pharmaniaga Berhad has blazed a trail within the healthcare industry as a provider of quality products and services. Listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia and having established itself as a leader in the local market, Pharmaniaga also has a growing global presence.

As part of our drive to become a total integrated healthcare solutions provider, our core businesses span across a wide spectrum of the industry. This includes logistics and distribution, manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals, sales and marketing, as well as distribution of medical products and hospital equipment. Drawing upon the synergies of these activities, Pharmaniaga has expanded its reach to Malaysians through the establishment of community pharmacy.

The heart of our corporate philosophy is driven by our motto, Passion for Patients. Above all, we emphasise on delivering our promises to our clients with the highest standards of excellence, as we seek to create a lasting legacy of doing business with a conscience.

Vision
The preferred pharmaceutical brand in regional markets.

Mission
Provide quality products and superior services by professional, committed and caring employees.

Q4,2019 results next month will be interesting :) (Jan 21): Average palm oil prices has surged 17.9% this year

takda lagi impairments totalling RM161.3 million.

Friday, 29 Nov 2019

5:08PM BSTEAD Nine-month net loss 92.000 million

Turnaround of BPlant will surely boost Boustead's overall profitability. :)

Boustead Plantations Berhad ("BPB") is one of the most experienced and established upstream oil palm plantation company in Malaysia and a subsidiary of Boustead Holdings Berhad ("BHB"), one of Malaysia's oldest and largest diversified conglomerates. Backed by BHB's presence in the plantations business, we have over 100 years of plantations industry experience and over 50 years of oil palm plantation estate management experience.

We are an investment holding company and are involved in the ownership of oil palm plantations. Through our subsidiaries, we are principally involved in the ownership and management of oil palm plantations, cultivation of oil palm and harvesting of its Fresh Fruit Bunches ("FFBs"), and the production and sale of Crude Palm Oil ("CPO") and Palm Kernel ("PK"). We also sell oil palm FFBs and provide mill design and consultancy services. We are also actively involved in oil palm agricultural and agronomic research through our associate company.

We own, co-own or lease a total of 41 oil palm plantation estates and 10 palm oil mills in Malaysia with 19 plantation estates in Peninsular Malaysia, 13 in Sabah and 9 in Sarawak. We own and operate 4 palm oil mills in Peninsular Malaysia, 4 in Sabah and 2 in Sarawak. Our total landbank stands approximately at 82,500 Ha. Out of this total, the area under oil palm cultivation is around 64,500 Ha comprising of 24,900 Ha in Peninsular Malaysia, 27,200 Ha in Sabah and 12,400 Ha in Sarawak.

Our involvement in the plantations business is carried out via our wholly-owned subsidiary, Boustead Estates Agency Sdn Bhd ("BEA"), a central agency which provides a range of services such as the management of all plantation activities within our Group, plantation advisory services for oil palm and rubber crops, plantation engineering services, marketing of plantation produce and agronomic research.

“Whereas our involvement in the oil palm agricultural and agronomic research is through our associate company, Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn Bhd ("AAR"). AAR provides agronomic advisory services and commercial production of oil palm planting materials namely AA Hybrida IS, oil palm hybrid semi-clonal seeds, is produced through a pedigree of selected elite clonal Deli Dura and the Dumpy Yangambi AVROS pisifera. This pisifera is the combination of the highly successful and renowned dumpy characteristic of AAR’s previous hybrid (the Dumpy AVROS) with the high bunch number characteristics of the Yangambi AVROS. The end result is an oil palm variety with 22% more oil yield compared to AAR’s previous AA DxP planting materials. For more information on AA Hybrida IS, please visit AAR website.

AAR-UNMC Biotechnology Research Centre, is a collaboration between AAR and the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. This has resulted in a new state-of-the-art biotechnology research centre which is primarily involved in the development of oil palm, with a focus in genetic improvement through modern bio molecular marker techniques. The research areas being explored include the application of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) finger printing and genetic improvement programmes.overview

The main goals of the research centre are to develop genetic engineering technology to overcome the barriers of introducing new traits into oil palm and speed up the production of new oil palm hybrid with desirable traits, such as high value oil, disease resistance and amenability to mechanise harvesting using marker assisted selection and tissue culture.

The Group's commitment in pursuing sustainable practices is on-going. As of to date the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certification has been obtained for Sungai Jernih Business Unit and Nak Business Unit which consist of one (1) mill and three (3) estates respectively.

BPlant will report profit again in Q4, 2019 due to high CPO price :) It would help to boost Boustead's overall profitability. Hopefully, Boustead will declare dividend next month when Q4, 2019 result is released.

Aug 23, 2019

Boustead Plantations back in the black in Q2

Aug 23, 201 9
Disposal gain lifts Boustead Plantations back to profitablity

Aug 23, 2019
Boustead Plantations back in the black

Boustead's cash cow :)

BHPETROL - Product range


STATION
Station
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FUEL
Infiniti RON95 Euro4M & RON97 Euro4M
Infiniti Euro2 & Euro5 Diesel

MART
BHPetromart
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CARDS & SERVICES
(NEW!) eCard Mobile App
eCard Loyalty Program
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LUBES
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SynGard
Trans
Dash
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LPG
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Switch to BHPetrogas LPG
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Boustead's cash cow :)

BHPETROL
RELIABLE. FRIENDLY. PROGRESSIVE.
Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd is a member of the Boustead Group of Companies. Since the launch of BHPetrol in 2005, its unwavering efforts to market and distribute top notch petroleum products have seen the company’s steady expansion across Malaysia. Today, it retails fuel via a network of over 400 service stations under BHPetrol, and market Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and lubricants product.


DRIVEN BY PASSION TO BRING YOU THE BEST FUEL
Continue striving to provide ever better products and services that allow us to connect and keep connecting with you in new ways that add value to your drive and positive experiences with BHPetrol.

Whether you are an individual, commercial, or industrial customer, you experience every value-added advantage of BHPetrol’s 3 Brand Values:
Consistently RELIABLE products and services
Sincerely FRIENDLY services
Ever PROGRESSIVE technology
Today, we’ve come a long way to greatly advance the marketing and distribution of petroleum products. We retail top-notch fuels via a network of over 400 BHPetrol service stations, efficiently market Syngard Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and lubricants, and operate over 290 shops within our network of service stations to ensure our customers experience greatly added value above comfort and convenience whenever you drive by.

Our commitment to provide only the best to customers led us to develop Infiniti, the revolutionary fuel incorporating a proprietary additives’ package that not only enhances an engine’s performance and responsiveness, but also provides more mileage.

BHPetrol is committed to bring you the best quality fuels simply because we are passionate about ensuring that Malaysian motorists enjoy the best performance and mileage out of your cars.

​To date, we have over 290 convenience store within our retail service station network, all of which offers a wide range of quality products at top value to ensure customers enjoy a consistently positive impact, as you gain more points you can instantly redeem for an impressive variety of exclusive items from favorite brands.

Boustead will rebound a lot next month after Q4, 2019 result is released.

BHP petrol stations - Up
Pharmaniaga - Up
BPlant - Up (CPO price has risen like crazy)
Affin Bank - Up
BHIC - Up
Gain on disposal, etc

KUALA LUMPUR: The property sector is like any other economic sectors and should be subject to market forces of demand and supply, so there is no reason why the government should bail out developers in the current slum when they run into trouble.

Property consultancy Rahim & Co executive chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman said at a press conference on the company’s Property Market Review 2019/2020 that property development is a business and all businesses come with risks.

So when developers run into trouble, “the government has no business saving them”, he said.

Rahim said that before embarking on any projects, developers should do proper feasibility and market studies which would indicate demand and price that can be absorbed by the market. The current overhang of about 50,000 units may take five years to be resolved based on the country’s population of about 35 million and the disparity between income and property prices.The Singapore government will fine a developer if they do not sell all their units within a certain period. In other words, Singapore is saying to the developer, before you embark on your development, do a proper study, Rahim said.

Bank Negara provided guidelines for project financing and this required developers to submit independent feasibility/market studies. But this was relaxed after developers lobbied against these guidelines because developers wanted to save the fees. At the end of three years, they are unable to sell, Rahim said.

He said these studies are important and valuers will say it as it is.

“We call a spade a spade and we lose a lot of friends this way, ” he said.

The period that was most crucial was between 2011 and 2013 when the property prices spike.

Rahim said credit was easy especially during that period when developers sold their units using interest-bearing schemes.

”So, yes, they (the developers) brought this on themselves, ” he said.

While the government should not bail out developers, Rahim said Malaysians should also not have the mentality that property prices will always go up.

“If a property was purchased a few years ago, chances are the buyer would have lost money. So there is such a thing as a cycle, ” he said.

As for the overhang of about 50,000 units valued at about RM34bil comprising residential sector plus serviced apartments and small offices home offices, that is a huge concern.

It may not be an economic calamity but it is a major concern, Rahim said.Rahim & Co research director Sulaiman Akhmady Mohd Saheh said what is of even greater concern other than the current overhang numbers is the fact that the numbers are rising.

“It (the overhang) is consistently on the rise, ” he said.

“What we are seeing today is the completed unsold units of about 50,000 units. There are also units which are currently under construction which are unsold, and which will enter the market, ” he said.

Sulaiman said the various government measures like reducing the threshold price for foreign buyers from RM1mil to RM600,000 and the recently concluded Home Ownership Campaign (HOC), which though are important, are not expected to have a significant impact on reducing the overhang.

The government threw its support behind the HOC by giving stamp duty exemptions with the objective of reducing the huge overhang figures but developers took the opportunity to launch new units.

“The HOC was basically the primary market sales, so developers saw an uptick in sales, ” said Sulaiman.

He said close to half of the overhang comprised units priced RM1mil and above and those between RM200,000 and RM400,000.

After restructuring felda's fgv, now LTAT's boustead turn probably :)

Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Economics and Administration Prof Edmund Terence Gomez criticised Pakatan Harapan’s first economic policy – the Shared Prosperity Vision (SPV) 2030 – labelling it as a continuation of the previous New Economic Policy (NEP) 1970-1990.

He said the 10-year economic policy was race-based in nature, although the ruling coalition had clearly stated in its manifesto the necessity to introduce need-based policies.

Gomez added that SPV continued to rely on the bumiputra-non-bumiputra dichotomy, similar to NEP.

“Not only that, the SPV did not mention the government-linked companies (GLCs) and the urgent need for reform GLCs. Only the small and medium enterprises were discussed.

Bhic will report profit too

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 2): Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Bhd’s (BHIC) associate company Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) has delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), the first of four littoral mission ships (LMS) it was commissioned to build.

Defence Ministry undersecretary (Procurement Division) Datuk Ahmad Hussaini Abdul Rahman received LMS1, ‘KERIS’, witnessed by RMN Eastern Fleet commander Datuk Syed Zahrul Putra Syed Abdullah and BHIC chief executive officer Ir Ee Teck Chee.

BNS signed a procurement contract with the government on March 23, 2017 to build four LMS in partnership with China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Corporation Ltd in China.

In a statement, the group said the LMS is capable of operating in multi-mission roles and in all weather conditions.

With a length of 68 metres and a maximum speed of 22 knots, the LMS has a complement of 45 crew members plus 16 personnel on detachments, and an endurance of 15 days at sea, it said.

Meanwhile, BHIC non-executive chairman, admiral (rtd) Tan Sri Ramlan Mohamed Ali said the close collaboration between BNS and RMN’s LMS project teams and the skills and capabilities of the personnel had contributed to the timely delivery of KERIS and smooth progress of the project.

“All milestones of KERIS, leading to its handover, have been met according to schedule, from the First Steel Cut on July 31, 2018 to its Keel-Laying on Oct 23, 2018 and to its launching on April 15, 2019,” he added.

Boustead has stake in affinbank :)

Last year, technology firm Grab, telco Axiata Group Bhd (which owns e-wallet “Boost”) and at least five banks — CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, Affin Bank Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd, AMMB Holdings Bhd and Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd — had signalled their interest in pursuing a digital banking licence in Malaysia.

Continuous improvement for boustead group of companies, good :)

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 21): Pharmaniaga Bhd, the country's largest pharmaceutical company, is slated to announce the departure of its managing director (MD) Datuk Farshila Emran (pictured) after nine years at the helm.

A person with knowledge of the matter told theedgemarkets.com that the board of directors will not be extending Farshila's contract when her current contract expires in April. Farshila, 52, was appointed to the board of directors of Pharmaniaga on March 25, 2011, prior to becoming its MD on April 1, 2011.

It is understood that Mohamed Iqbal Abdul Rahman, the current chief operating officer of Pharmaniaga, will assume the role of acting MD following Farshila's departure.

As at Feb 28, 2019, Pharmaniaga is 67.32% owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, of which 56.09% is held through Boustead Holdings Bhd.

According to Pharmaniaga's Annual Report 2018, Farshila founded Idaman Pharma Sdn Bhd (IPSB) in 2001 and started her venture in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry. Under her leadership, IPSB developed a synergistic partnership with Boustead and facilitated the acquisition of Pharmaniaga by Boustead in 2011.

Since December 2018, Pharmaniaga has seen several changes to its board.

On Dec 31, 2018, Pharmaniaga announced the resignation of its chairman Tan Sri Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, 69, citing early mutual termination of his service agreement with Boustead as MD on the same day.

Subsequently, it saw four other board resignations, namely Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Ismail Merican, 71, Fahmy Ismail, 42, Ebinesan @ Daniel Gnanakkan, 73, and Izzat Othman, 57.

On July 17 last year, Datuk Dr Hafsah Hashim, 61, was appointed as independent and non-executive chairman of Pharmaniaga. Hafsah has served the government for 36 years before retiring on Aug 15, 2018, during which she held several senior positions, including chief executive officer of SME Corp Malaysia.

Other new appointments to the board included Datuk Koo Hock Fee, 68, Datuk Mohd Zahir Zahur Hussain, 44, and Brig Gen (R) Datuk Mohd Shahrom Mohamad, 66, as directors.

More recently, on Dec 24, 2019, Pharmaniaga announced the appointment of Dr Salmah Bahri, 61, as its independent and non-executive director effective Jan 1. She was the senior director of pharmaceutical services at the Health Ministry from Nov 1, 2016 to July 18, 2018.

On Nov 18, 2019, Pharmaniaga's wholly-owned subsidiary, Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd (PLSB), received a letter from the Health Ministry for an extension of its services for the provision of medicines and medical supplies to the ministry's facilities for an interim period of 25 months, from Dec 1, 2019, to Dec 31, 2021.

In addition, PLSB secured a five-year contract to continue providing logistics and distribution services for the Health Ministry for five years ending Dec 31, 2024.

Pharmaniaga shares closed up 2 sen or 0.97% at RM2.09 today, bringing it a market capitalisation of RM545.97 million.

Time to help the army. :)

About 60% of LTAT’s RM10 billion fund is in listed equities — primarily in the Boustead group of companies, which includes BHIC.

Boustead should be next for healing after fgv :)

LAST Thursday, shares of Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC) closed at RM1.26.

The stock has remained below the RM1.40 threshold — lows unseen for at least five years — for about 11 months.

Its last peak in the past 18 months was on Jan 19 last year when the stock hit RM2.11. By July 6, it had shed 36.5% of its market value to RM1.34 and has not recovered to date.

Interestingly, even though BHIC has announced a number of new contracts since late 2018, its share price has not budged, sparking suspicion among some shareholders that it is being deliberately suppressed by an unknown party.

“BHIC’s share price is a function of market sentiments, hence we cannot comment on the matter,” BHIC says when asked what it is doing to address these concerns. “We continue to focus on maximising shareholder value ... we trust that discerning shareholders will appreciate the long-term value proposition.”

For the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) and its 59.45%-owned listed vehicle, Boustead Holdings Bhd, BHIC’s lacklustre share price performance puts them at a crossroads.

LTAT is the ultimate controlling shareholder of BHIC with a direct stake of 8.16% while Boustead Holdings controls another 65%.

LTAT is looking to rebalance its investment portfolio, which is significantly concentrated in chunky equity investments on Bursa Malaysia.

About 60% of LTAT’s RM10 billion fund is in listed equities — primarily in the Boustead group of companies, which includes BHIC.

LTAT CEO Nik Amlizan Mohamed, who was appointed last September, told The Edge at the time that rebalancing LTAT’s portfolio is the long-term agenda, although she stressed that LTAT is “patient capital” and will not rush the process.

In a statement to The Edge, LTAT says it periodically reviews its investments, including those in BHIC, in keeping with its aim to generate sustainable returns for its members.

“Nevertheless, at this juncture in time, there are no concrete plans to divest LTAT’s stake in BHIC,” the fund adds.

LTAT did not address queries on whether it would be open to paring down its stake, either partially or wholly, or whether it has been approached by interested investors in a possible sale.

In any event, BHIC may require special consideration among the various businesses in the Boustead group as far as portfolio rebalancing goes.

In the short term, LTAT’s direct and indirect shareholding in BHIC, amounting to 73.16%, means liquidity could also be shackling its value.

As the shipbuilder’s recent financial performance has also hurt returns for LTAT, it makes sense for the fund to gradually reduce its stake and redeploy its capital.

However, the current low valuation means any divestment will likely mean its books will take a hit. LTAT did not respond to queries on its holding cost for the BHIC shares.

Another factor could be what moves Boustead Holdings, which welcomed new managing director Datuk Seri Amrin Awaluddin on May 6, makes down the road.

Setting a new direction for Boustead Holdings will undoubtedly include deciding what to do with its sprawling interests, including its 65% stake in BHIC. It is worth noting that Amrin also joined Minister of Defence Mohamad Sabu’s visit to BHIC’s shipyard in Lumut last month.

Counter-balancing these considerations, however, is the fact that BHIC is unique as it is effectively a monopoly military shipbuilder for the government.

While other major businesses in the Boustead group such as plantations, banking, property and pharmaceuticals have industry peers that LTAT can invest in to spread the risk, BHIC cannot be replaced like-for-like in LTAT’s portfolio.

Also, the pipeline of contracts coming from the Royal Malaysian Navy over the next decade plus possible military spending boosts from the upcoming Defence White Paper paints a picture of BHIC soon being on the cusp of a boom wave.

LTAT and Boustead Holdings will thus have to decide on its priorities as far as BHIC is concerned.

Bplant will contribute profit to boustead this year :)

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 21): Average palm oil prices will surge 17.9% this year, a Reuters poll of industry participants showed, as reduced output in the first half of the year and higher biodiesel consumption in top producers Indonesia and Malaysia tighten the market.

Benchmark palm oil prices will average RM2,650 (US$650.80) a tonne in 2020, up from RM2,248 last year, according to the median estimate from a poll of 18 analysts and industry players.

"With relatively low production in the first quarter, production will only be sufficient for export and not for topping up stock," said Derom Bangun, chairman of the Indonesia Palm Oil Board.

Supplies are expected to rebound later in the year, however, and prices could be "much lower from April to December", said Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil importer based in Mumbai.

Indonesia's palm production is pegged to rise 0.55% to 45.75 million tonnes in 2020 from an estimated 45.5 million tonnes in 2019, according to the median estimate of 14 poll respondents who answered questions specifically on Indonesia's palm sector.

This is compared to output growth of 5.8% in 2019 over 2018's total of 43 million tonnes, sources said.

Output in No.2 producer Malaysia will grow by 0.35% to 19.93 million tonnes this year, based on the median estimate from 14 participants.

In 2019, Malaysia's production rose 1.85% to 19.86 million tonnes, up from 2018's 19.5 million tonnes.

The slower output growth is due to dry weather and lower fertiliser usage in both countries last year, when palm prices dropped as low as RM1,960.

Indonesia and Malaysia together account for nearly 90% of global palm production.

BIODIESEL

"(In) year 2020 much depends on whether Indonesia can produce 10 million kilolitres of biodiesel," said Christopher Chai, a general manager with Malaysia's Kwantas Corp.

The market will be closely watching the roll-out of Indonesia's B30 biodiesel programme — biodiesel with 30% palm content — and Malaysia's newly implemented B20 programme, as together they are expected to increase local consumption by 10%-13%, traders said.

Indonesia is targeting 10 million kilolitres (8.7 million tonnes) of biodiesel production this year, while Malaysia's biodiesel association is expecting to produce 1.7 million to 2 million tonnes of the fuel.

TRADE WARS

Ongoing trade disputes between China and the United States, India and Malaysia, and the European Union and Indonesia will likely affect export shipments this year, poll respondents said.

"The Indonesian government's battle with the EU on the latter imposing anti-dumping duties on Indonesian biodiesel exporters will hog the media attention," Sathia Varqa, owner and co-founder of Singapore-based Palm Oil Analytics, said.

Malaysia benefited from the trade war between the United States and China in 2019, with exports to China rising by 33.9% last year. However, a trade deal between the two largest economies may see China resume purchases of US soybeans, which may result in a lower demand for palm oil.

India, the world's largest edible oil buyer, as well restricted overall imports of refined palm oil on Jan 8, and informally instructed its traders to avoid purchases from Malaysia following a diplomatic squabble.

(US$1 = RM4.0720)

If sars returns, good biz for pharma supplying vaccine to hospitals, etc :)

Nature of Interest Direct Interest
Shares Ordinary shares RM0.50 each.
Reason Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd Employees Provident Fund Board ("EPF") - Disposal of 400,800 shares.
Total no of securities after change
Direct (units) 101,097,148
Direct (%) 4.99
Indirect (units) 0
Indirect (%) 0.00
Total (units) 101,097,148
Total (%) 4.99
Date of Notice 09-Jan-2020

Nature of Interest Direct Interest
Shares Ordinary shares of RM0.50 each.
Reason LTAT - Acquisition 113,000 shares. Citigroup Nominees - Transferred 113,000 shares. MAM - Disposal 200,000 shares.
Total no of securities after change
Direct (units) 1,204,752,018
Direct (%) 59.44
Indirect (units) 0
Indirect (%) 0.00
Total (units) 1,204,752,018
Total (%) 59.44
Date of Notice 13-Jan-2020

reversal of impairment probably :) Q4,2019 results next month will be interesting

Monday, December 2nd, 2019 at , Markets | News



The firm had provided impairments over RM160m for its heavy industries and property divisions

by FARA AISYAH / pic by TMR

BOUSTEAD Holdings Bhd slipped into the red as impairments totalling RM161.3 million dragged the conglomerate into a RM155 million net loss for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2019 (3Q19).

The company had provided impairments over RM160 million for its heavy industries and property divisions.

During the same quarter last year, the group, almost 60%-owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), registered a RM7.3 million net profit. It also posted a loss per share of 7.65 sen in the three months, compared to earnings per share of 0.36 sen in 3Q18.

Boustead’s quarterly revenue, however, increased 5% year-on-year (YoY) to RM2.73 billion from RM2.6 billion in 3Q18.

For the nine-month period (9M19), Boustead’s net loss widened to RM153.1 million from RM14.2 million last year. Besides impairments, the group incurred higher finance cost and operating losses recorded by its plantation and heavy industries divisions.

The group’s revenue in 9M19 increased 6.28% YoY to RM7.79 billion from RM7.33 billion in the same period last year due to higher contributions from most of its business segments.

“Despite headwinds, the group recorded solid revenue growth for the 9M19,” Boustead MD Datuk Seri Amrin Awaluddin (picture) said in a statement last week.

“However, due to the one-off impairments in the property and heavy industries divisions, our bottom line was impacted,” he added.



Revenues from the pharmaceutical division in January to September 2019 improved to RM2.1 billion from RM1.8 billion in 9M18 due to solid contributions from both the concession and non-concession businesses.

The property division’s revenue increased by 9% to RM400.5 million in 9M19, largely due to higher progress of works for development activity at Taman Mutiara Rini, Johor, and One Cochrane Residences, Kuala Lumpur.

Boustead’s finance and investment division also posted higher revenue of RM154.5 million in 9M19, reflecting a 5% increase, mainly due to higher tuition fees from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

However, the trading and industrial, as well as plantation divisions registered lower revenues of RM3.8 billion (RM4 billion in 9M18) and RM398.1 million (RM427.4 million in 9M18) respectively, mainly due to lower commodities prices.

“As we strive to achieve a turnaround for the group, we are cognisant of the challenges we face in the current operating environment.

“We remain focused on enhancing efficiencies and extracting further value within the respective operating units, with a view to deliver sustainable earnings over the long term,” Amrin said.

Meanwhile, Boustead Plantations Bhd has appointed a new CEO Ibrahim Abdul Majid effective Dec 1, 2019.

Boustead Plantations also announced the promotion of Mohamad Mahazir Mustaffa as its new CFO and the appointment of Noral Afida Alwi as its new financial controller.

Boustead closed one sen or 0.52% higher to 97 sen last week, giving it a RM1.96 billion market capitalisation.

BHIC will also start to contribute profit to Boustead


1. GENERAL INTRO: This counter core business is on ship building and repair for defense industry.

2. NOTABLE POINTS:
a. business segments include commercial and naval ship building and repair, clientele include Royal Malaysia Navy, local and overseas ship owners, also fabrications works for oil &gas industry. Also involve manufacturing of aerospace components and propellents.

3. IS THIS COUNTER A STRONG GROWTH STOCK?
a. REVENUE RANGE (million): ~ 277.6 million in 2017 annual report, this is a low revenue company.
b. SHARE PRICE: share price on decreasing trend in last few years, decreased from peak of RM3.80 in 2012 to current share price of RM1.30.
c. EARNING PER SHARE (EPS): earning per share in last 5 years are fluctuating, from -12.37 to 30.87 sen per share, making losses in one out of five years
d. FUTURE POTENTIAL/PROSPECTS: for ship building and maintenance segment, expect steady revenue from defense department contracts, while business segment related to oil&gas industry remaining challenging due to slower demand for hydrocarbon energy from developing economies as well as the shift towards renewable energy.
e. CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (CAPEX): spending on purchase of new fixed assets is 2 million, around 0.3% of total assets.

4. IS THIS A STRONG DIVIDEND STOCK?
a. DIVIDEND YIELD: in 2017 report, dividend of 5sen per share payout declared, amount to dividend yield of 3.85%
b. CONSISTENCY: in last five years only in 2017 there was dividend payout to shareholders, no dividend declared from 2013-2016

5. OTHER INDICATORS:
a. CASH FLOW: cash flow is positive, around 45.8 million
b. SUPPORT BY INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: there is presence of 2 institutional investors at top 30 major shareholders list, which are Lembaga Tabung Haji and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera.

Disclaimer: The content of the blog posts are for sharing purpose only. Readers are encouraged to carry out further research and analysis as well as follow up latest update information before making any investment decisions.

BPlant is expected to contribute to Boustead in Q4, 2019 result to be released next month

1. GENERAL INTRO: BOUSTEAD PLANTATIONS is one of the main oil palm plantations in Malaysia.

2. NOTABLE POINTS:
a. In 2018 report, main business segments include operation of oil palm plantations and milling operations. In addition, the Group is also involved in the provision of mill design and consultancy services.
b. The Group operates 46 oil palm estates in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak with a total planted area of 75,000 hectares and total annual fresh fruit bunches (FFB) production of 966,134 MT.
c. The group also operates 9 palm oil mill that has a capacity of 405 MT FFB per hour and produced 211,847 MT CPO in 2018. The reported average oil extraction rates (OER) is 21.2%, which is higher than MPOB's national average of 19.9%.
d. The Group also currently operates one biogas plant that captures methane gas produced from milling processes.
e. The Group posted a loss before tax of RM51 million for the financial year 2018. This was primarily as a result of significantly lower palm product prices which impacted its bottom line. High start-up expenses for the acquisition of 11,579 hectares of land in Sabah and the rehabilitation and improvements for these estates also contributed to the deficit.
f. As part of the Group’s efforts to reduce labour dependency, maximise effciency and optimise productivity, it continued with the mechanisation of its operations, including utilised harvesting tools such as lightweight graphite poles for tall palms, mini tractor grabbers with bin systems, motorised wheelbarrows (for hilly areas) and smart fertiliser spreaders.

3. IS THIS COUNTER A STRONG GROWTH STOCK?
a. REVENUE RANGE (RM million): 584 million as reported in 2018 annual report, this is a medium revenue company.
b. SHARE PRICE: from 2015-2018, share price has been steady at around RM1.50 , then on decreasing trend to around RM0.70 by around January 2020
c. EARNING PER SHARE (EPS): earning per share in last 5 years fluctuated from -2.3 to 27.7 sen
d. FUTURE POTENTIAL/PROSPECTS: share price expect to be stable in the next few years
e. CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (CAPEX): spending on purchase of new fixed assets is RM 82.6 million, around 2% of total assets.

4. IS THIS A STRONG DIVIDEND STOCK?
a. DIVIDEND YIELD: in 2018 financial year, BOUSTEAD PLANTATIONS declared a dividend payout of 7 sen per share to shareholders, which amounts to a dividend yield of 9.72%.
b. CONSISTENCY: the dividend payout was consistent, dividend paid to shareholders in last five years (2014-2018) ranged from 6 to 19.5 sen per share, with a dividend yield range from 4.1 to 11.8 %.
c. DIVIDEND PAYOUT RATIO: N/A

5. IS THE MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GOOD?
a. RETURN ON EQUITY (ROE): in 2018 financial year, BOUSTEAD PLANTATIONS achieved a low return of shareholders’ equity, at -1.8%. Last five years ROE ranged from -1.8 to 21.7%.
b. COST-TO-INCOME RATIO: N/A

6. OTHER INDICATORS:
a. CASH FLOW: cash flow is positive, around RM 52.6 million, equivalent to RM 0.02 per share
b. SUPPORT BY INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: this counter is well supported by institutional investors, there are 18 institutional investors at top 30 major shareholders list, including EPF (4.76%), insurance companies and investment funds. Its major shareholders are Boustead Holdings Berhad (57.42%) and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (12.1%).

Disclaimer: The content of the blog posts are for sharing purpose only. Readers are encouraged to carry out further research and analysis as well as follow up latest update information before making any investment decisions.

Next month, Bplant should report profit, pharmaniaga also profit, BHIC also profit, Affin also profit, BHP Station also profit, Overall should report profit, dividend is back :) next month, result is out

BOUSTEAD Holdings Bhd is actively seeking a buyer for a 2.94-acre parcel in Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur, to unlock the value of the asset and enhance its cash flow.

The government-linked company had already put two valuable assets in Jalan Bukit Bintang up for sale — one last year and the other this year — and hopes to get at least RM147 million for the Cheras land, located a short walk from its MyTOWN shopping centre.

The Edge recently sighted an information memorandum on the sale.

When contacted, a Boustead spokesperson says, “We can confirm that on Nov 1, 2019, we sent a letter of invitation to selected registered real estate agents to identify interested buyers for the parcel of land located at the intersection of Jalan Cochrane and Jalan Shelley in Kuala Lumpur, opposite MyTOWN.

“The land is for sale on an ‘as-is’ basis, subject to restrictions in interest and conditions in the document of title at a minimum price of RM147 million before taxes, if any.”

The spokesperson adds that Boustead has been receiving numerous offers for the land since 2018. “However, the offers were deemed not attractive. In November 2019, the decision was made to actively seek a buyer.”

The sale is aligned with Boustead’s continuous drive to effectively manage its assets and extract the best value from its investments, according to the spokesperson. “The sale of this asset is expected to further enhance our cash flow and unlock value.”

The property division is involved in various aspects such as development, investment, project and property management, the spokesperson says. “This includes the buying and selling of assets, which is part and parcel of our principal activities and as a matter of course for our property business.

“Hence, the sale of this property (Jalan Cochrane) or any other property that we may have in mind to dispose of, is with a view to strengthen our portfolio and extract the best value from our investments.”

Citing the example of the Mutiara Damansara township in Selangor, the spokesperson says Boustead retained certain land parcels such as one The Curve sits on, even as it sold other plots to Tesco and IKEA. “As such, we have undertaken a similar strategy with our Cochrane township.”

The sale of property would enable Boustead to unlock its value via monetisation or in a joint venture with partners with strong financial resources and more defined expertise, the spokesperson says. Pooling resources would migitate risks, and, at the same time, provide a catalyst and variety to the developments it is involved in.

The Jalan Cochrane land is registered under Mutiara Rini Sdn Bhd, the shares of which are owned by Boustead Properties Bhd except for 1,000 shares held by Boustead, the parent of the latter. Mutiara Rini has held the land, designated for commercial use, since November 2012.

According to the information memorandum, the land has a freehold title with a plot ratio of four. At RM147 million, the price for the 127,865 sq ft parcel works out to RM1,150 per sq ft.

In the financial year ended Dec 31, 2018, Mutiara Rini registered a 16.5% decline in revenue to RM266.39 million. Net profit, however, improved 43.68% to RM139.79 million. Total liabilities stood at RM995.61 million, of which RM985.83 million are current, while retained earnings amounted to RM608.99 million.

Mutiara Rini also owns 50% of Boustead Ikano Sdn Bhd, and wholly owns Boustead Curve Sdn Bhd as well as Damansara Entertainment Centre Sdn Bhd.

As for Boustead, it incurred a loss of RM469 million on revenue of RM10.19 billion in FY2018 — its first net loss in 17 years.

As at Sept 30, total borrowings stood at RM8.19 billion with short-tem borrowings at RM4.55 billion. Cash balances and current receivables amounted to RM1.16 billion and RM1.42 billion respectively.

Earlier this month, The Edge reported that Boustead had invited bids for two adjacent parcels measuring 1.71 acres at the corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Pudu and set a collective reserve price of RM172 million. The offers received under the tender exercise, which closed in July, were ”not up to expectations” and the matter was put in abeyance. Nevertheless, the government-linked company continues to receive interest and as such, is evaluating its options although a decision has yet to be reached.

This parcel is located diagonally across from the Royale Chulan Bukit Bintang Hotel. Boustead inked a deal to sell the hotel in February last year to Singapore-listed Hotel Royal Ltd for RM197 million. The sale has yet to be completed.

Boustead: Associate delivers first mission vessel to royal navy. Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Bhd’s (BHIC) associate company Boustead Naval Shipyard SB (BNS) has delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), the first of four littoral mission ships (LMS) it was commissioned to build. Defence Ministry undersecretary (Procurement Division) Datuk Ahmad Hussaini Abdul Rahman received LMS1, ‘KERIS’, witnessed by RMN Eastern Fleet commander Datuk Syed Zahrul Putra Syed Abdullah and BHIC chief executive officer Ir Ee Teck Chee. (The Edge)

Recent Prices
Date Open Range Close Change Volume
20/01/2020 0.935 0.93 - 0.94 0.93 -0.005 (0.53%) 208,700
17/01/2020 0.93 0.93 - 0.95 0.935 -0.005 (0.53%) 112,100
16/01/2020 0.945 0.935 - 0.945 0.94 -0.005 (0.53%) 276,500
15/01/2020 0.93 0.93 - 0.945 0.945 +0.015 (1.61%) 266,600
14/01/2020 0.94 0.925 - 0.94 0.93 -0.005 (0.53%) 454,100
13/01/2020 0.93 0.925 - 0.94 0.935 +0.005 (0.54%) 88,400
10/01/2020 0.92 0.92 - 0.93 0.93 +0.01 (1.09%) 442,100
09/01/2020 0.925 0.92 - 0.93 0.92 +0.005 (0.55%) 251,800
08/01/2020 0.93 0.915 - 0.935 0.915 -0.025 (2.66%) 766,400
07/01/2020 0.94 0.93 - 0.945 0.94 +0.005 (0.53%) 158,900
06/01/2020 0.96 0.935 - 0.96 0.935 -0.025 (2.60%) 561,000
03/01/2020 0.965 0.96 - 0.965 0.96 0.00 (0.00%) 1,016,900
02/01/2020 0.95 0.95 - 0.97 0.96 +0.01 (1.05%) 515,600
31/12/2019 0.975 0.95 - 0.98 0.95 -0.025 (2.56%) 410,400
30/12/2019 0.95 0.95 - 0.985 0.975 +0.03 (3.17%) 780,200
27/12/2019 0.93 0.93 - 0.96 0.945 +0.02 (2.16%) 306,600
26/12/2019 0.93 0.925 - 0.93 0.925 0.00 (0.00%) 228,600
24/12/2019 0.925 0.92 - 0.93 0.925 0.00 (0.00%) 221,800