<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 1): Investors should build positions in Malaysian bank stocks as quarterly earnings misses prompt a short-term pause in the recent rally, JPMorgan analysts including Harsh Wardhan Modi write in report.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>* 12-month bullish investment case remains intact; outlook for EPS growth in 2018-19 has improved</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>* Latest quarter saw more misses than beats, but should be seen as a relief as most were driven by last round of non-performing loan clean-up</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>* Loan and net interest margin guidance expected to be conservative, which opens up scope for consistent EPS revisions in course of year; rate hike last month will start showing up in NIMs this quarter</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>* Credit growth should move close to 10% this year vs 4% last year</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>* CIMB +42%, Maybank +21%, Public Bank +15% in past 12 months vs +9.4% for KLCI</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p><br />
&nbsp;</p></div>


KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 1): Investors should build positions in Malaysian bank stocks as quarterly earnings misses prompt a short-term pause in the recent rally, JPMorgan analysts including Harsh Wardhan Modi write in report.

* 12-month bullish investment case remains intact; outlook for EPS ...

JPMorgan : Pause in Malaysian bank rally is time to accumulate

Copper hit US$10,000 (RM47,762) a tonne for the first time in two years as speculation builds that the world’s mines will struggle to meet a coming wave of demand from green industries.

Copper hits US$10,000 a tonne as bulls predict mines will not be able to cope with demand

BENGALURU (April 26): Most Asian currencies were subdued on Friday, as mixed US data solidified bets of fewer rate cuts, while regional stocks were on track to end the week higher due to gains in South Korea and Taiwan from global tech earnings.

Asian currencies subdued after mixed US data, stocks set for weekly gains

Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust rose to its highest in more than a month after the release of its first-quarter results, while analysts expect the REIT, which mainly manages shopping malls, to benefit further from higher tourist arrivals.

Pavilion REIT climbs over one-month high, analysts say earnings growth on track

The corporate exercise to merge the AirAsia airline businesses under AirAsia X Bhd (AAX) is apparently sufficient to offset all of the RM8.7 billion negative equity in Capital A Bhd, according to chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

Merger of airlines alone enough to reverse all of Capital A's negative equity, says Fernandes

Malaysia’s producer price index (PPI), which measures price changes for goods at the producer level, increased by 1.6% year-on-year in March 2024, compared with 0.3% in February, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Malaysia’s producer price index up 1.6% in March

The yen fell amid volatile trade on Friday after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) maintained its accommodative monetary policy stance at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting, while Asian shares rose in the broader market.

Asia stocks rise, yen plumbs 34-year low as BOJ stands pat on rates

Anyone called in by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), either as a witness or subject of investigation, is given ample opportunity to provide additional, detailed information as they please, and this includes imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

MACC officer says Najib given ample opportunity to elaborate while statements were recorded

Asia’s international financial hub Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (Labuan IBFC) sees moderate growth in the aviation leasing sector in 2024, due to higher oil prices.

Labuan IBFC sees moderate growth in aviation leasing sector due to higher oil prices

Doctor-turned-businessman Tan Sri Mohan MK Swami and his partner Datuk Seri Dr Shamir Kumar Nandy agreed on Friday to acquire a 58% stake in property management company Turiya Bhd for RM52.86 million from MAA Group Bhd.

Mohan Swami, partner agree to buy 58% of Turiya for RM52.86m from MAA Group

Uday Kotak built his Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd over decades to become Asia’s richest banker. After India’s regulator slapped his firm with a surprise ban, he’s facing one of his biggest tests yet — and a dip in wealth.

Asia’s richest banker loses US$1.2 bil after RBI ban

<p>Berjaya Corp&nbsp;Bhd (BCorp) has denied that its founder Tan Sri&nbsp;Vincent Tan Chee Yioun participated in talks to revive a US$100 billion (RM477.60 billion)&nbsp;Forest City casino resort as reported recently.</p>


Berjaya Corp denies participation in talks to revive Forest City casino resort

<p>The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has extended the deadline for non-business taxpayers to submit their tax return form for the year of assessment 2023 via e-Filing from April 30 to May 15.</p>


e-Filing: Tax return form submission deadline extended to May 15 for non-business taxpayers

<p>The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has updated its Investor Alert List.</p>


SC adds four entities to Investor Alert List, two being potential clones

<p>Maxis Bhd could work with another consortium partner to lower the cost of deploying the second 5G network, even after the recapitalisation of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), said RHB Research in a note on Friday.</p>


Maxis could lead second 5G network roll-out with new consortium partner, says RHB Research

<p>Shares of ViTrox Corp Bhd are headed for its worst day in 18 months as first-quarter (1Q) results disappointed investors while analysts turned increasingly cautious on the semiconductor company’s near-term prospects.</p>


ViTrox shares on pace for worst day in 18 months as 1Q disappoints

<p>Mercury Securities Sdn Bhd has valued ACE Market-bound Sin-Kung Logistics Bhd at 14 sen based on a 14 times financial year 2025 (FY2025) earnings per share forecast of one sen.</p>


Mercury Securities values ACE Market-bound Sin-Kung Logistics at 14 sen

<p>Wall Street stocks closed lower on Thursday as markets were stunned by data showing slower-than-expected US economic growth and persistent inflation, coupled with a sell-off in large cap stocks triggered by disappointing results from Meta Platforms.</p>


Wall Street stocks fall as weak GDP growth spreads rate-cut gloom

<p>RHB Retail Research said YTL Corp Bhd is eyeing to extend the upside movement after it staged a bullish breakout.</p>


YTL Corp eyeing to extend upside movement, says RHB Retail Research 

<p>Analysts are positive that Capital A Bhd's proposed restructuring plan to streamline its aviation segments will help it exit the Practice Note 17 (PN17) status and enhance its competitive stance against established full-service carriers.</p>


Analysts positive on Capital A's restructuring plan to get it out of PN17

<p>Doctor-turned-businessman Tan Sri Mohan MK Swami and his partner Datuk Seri Dr Shamir Kumar Nandy agreed on Friday to acquire a 58% stake in property management company Turiya Bhd for RM52.86 million from MAA Group Bhd.</p>


<p>RHB Retail Research said VS Industry Bhd is poised to continue the bullish trajectory after it broke past the key resistance on high volume.</p>


VS Industry poised to continue bullish trajectory, says RHB Retail Research 

<p><em><strong>More to come</strong></em></p>
...

Govt to announce second 5G network next week, coverage now at 80.3%, says Fahmi

<p>Uday Kotak built his Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd over decades to become Asia’s richest banker. After India’s regulator slapped his firm with a surprise ban, he’s facing one of his biggest tests yet — and a dip in wealth.</p>


<p>The Tesla Inc shareholder who won a court order in Delaware killing co-founder Elon Musk’s US$56 billion (RM267.54 billion) pay package is premature in asking the judge to bar the billionaire from moving the executive-compensation dispute to Texas, the car company’s lawyers argue.</p>


Tesla fires back at investor who doesn’t want pay fight in Texas

<p>The battle for consumer attention in China's electric car market is being fought over touches of "tech luxury" that car buyers in other markets have never seen.</p>

<p>China’s upstart electric brands, and even its state-owned, legacy automakers, are racing to pack technology and features once considered premium into electric vehicles (EVs) as cheap as US$20,000 (RM95,525) — less than half the cost of an average new car in the US, now more than US$48,000.</p>


Battle for 'tech luxury' in China as EVs get smarter — and cheaper

<p>The world’s 3,000 billionaires should pay a minimum 2% tax on their fast-growing wealth to raise £250 billion (RM1.28 trillion) a year for the global fight against poverty, inequality and global heating, ministers from four leading economies have suggested.</p>


World’s billionaires should pay minimum 2% wealth tax, say G20 ministers

<p>European and American investors showed converse interest in sustainable funds during the first quarter, research firm Morningstar said on Thursday, with a record US$8.8 billion (RM42.03 billion) in net withdrawals from the products in the US.</p>


Record US$8.8 bil pulled from US sustainable funds in 1Q

<p>Former president Donald Trump’s economic advisers are considering ways to actively stop nations from shifting away from using the dollar — an effort to counter budding moves among key emerging markets to reduce exposure to the US currency, according to people familiar with the matter.</p>


Trump advisers discuss penalties for nations that move away from the dollar

<p>Anyone called in by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), either as a witness or subject of investigation, is given ample opportunity to provide additional, detailed information as they please, and this includes imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.</p>


<p>The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Beijing Zhongguancun Science City Innovation Development Co Ltd to collaborate on several strategic initiatives aimed at fostering significant advancements in technology and innovation.</p>
