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JUSTSAYING: Is it so hard to stay home?

Wall Street's main indexes advanced on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and signaled a dovish tilt, with focus moving to a crucial job report later in the week.

While Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that stubbornly high inflation would see a long-expected US rate cut pushed back, he refused to entertain talk that rates might actually need to go up again.

Wall Street gains on Fed's dovish signals

The presence of and commitment shown by the Unity Government party machinery campaigning in the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) state by-election to ensure victory for its candidate is clear proof of the government's integrity.

KKB polls: Presence of party machinery is proof of Unity Government's togetherness — Zambry

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes are set to be enhanced to address the shortage of 30,000 engineers in the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He also emphasised the importance of focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to keep pace with current demands.

TVET in Malaysia to be enhanced to address shortage of 30,000 engineers — PM

KUALA LUMPUR (May 2): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday:

Yinson Holdings Bhd has closed the limited recourse term loan facility of up to US$1.3 billion (RM6.2 billion) for the financing of its Ago...

Yinson, Protasco, LCTitan, Westports, UOA REIT, Frontken, Pasukhas, BHIC, JAKS, Epicon, Sarawak Cable, Annum, Aldrich, Ajinomoto, Ageson and SMI

Ageson Bhd said Virdos Lima Consultancy (M) Sdn Bhd (VL Consultancy) is in the final stage of completing its independent assessment report on the matters raised by its external auditor in its financial statements for the 18-month financial period ended Dec 31, 2022 (FPE2022).

Ageson says independent review of audit issues raised by its auditor now in final stages

The Penang government plans to hold a workshop with stakeholders to finalise the Penang Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project following minor amendments to the original plan.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the workshop is expected to be held within a week or two so that further work involving the transformative infrastructure project can be carried out.

Penang to hold workshop with stakeholders to finalise Mutiara Line LRT alignment

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he has encouraged Japan and Qatar to explore investment opportunities in Kelantan.

As the country's leader, he said that he will always strive to help develop all states in Malaysia.

PM encourages Japan, Qatar to explore investment in Kelantan

The options market is betting that stocks will swing widely after Friday’s US jobs report, which traders expect will offer more clarity on how much the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates this year.

The S&P 500 Index is expected to move 1.2% in either direction after the release, based on the cost of at-the-money puts and calls expiring Friday, according to Stuart Kaiser, Citigroup Inc’s head of US equity trading strategy. That figure, based on the prices of S&P straddles as of Wednesday’s close, is the largest implied swing ahead of an employment report since March 2023, he said.

Options traders brace for biggest S&P jobs-day swing in a year

Bill Gross, who pioneered the “total return” strategy in the 1980s that revolutionized the bond market, says the approach is now defunct.

Bill Gross says ‘total return’ strategy he pioneered is ‘dead’

The High Court on Thursday upheld the conviction and 12-year prison sentence against Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali for neglecting and abusing Bella, a teenage girl with Down’s syndrome.

Bella case: High Court upholds Siti Bainun's conviction and sentence  

Mechanical and electrical engineering services provider Pasukhas Group Bhd has secured a RM56.98 million contract to build a data centre in Selangor.

Pasukhas secures RM57m contract from US company to build data centre in Selangor 

The High Court on Thursday dismissed Tengku Datuk Zafrul Abdul Aziz's application to file an affidavit with regards to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's judicial review application to unearth an addendum to his pardon order that detailed he was to spend the remainder of his sentence under "house arrest".

Court rejects Zafrul’s bid to file affidavit on Najib’s ‘house arrest’ order

Smart Asia Chemical Bhd, en route to Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market, expects its new plant in Perak to triple its production capacity while allowing the paint and coating manufacturer to be closer to its clients.

Smart Asia Chemical to triple capacity with new plant from IPO proceeds

IT will be a busy year for the energy sector. Over the past month, there has been a slew of announcements, with the latest being the establishment of the Energy Exchange Malaysia (Enegem).

The Enegem programme will start with a project with a pilot auction of 100mw of renewable energy (...

Cover Story: A busy year for RE players

The El Nino phenomenon hitting the country is expected to continue for the next two months, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

El Nino to last two more months; 2024 could be Malaysia’s hottest year — Nik Nazmi 

Local authorities' investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) involved "thousands" of documents, and not all of them could be specifically shown to imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when his statement was recorded, the court heard on Thursday.

MACC IO says 'thousands' of docs involved in 1MDB probe, impossible to show each one to Najib

DBS Group Holdings Ltd was hit by renewed disruptions to its Internet banking and payment services in Singapore on Thursday, days after a six-month ban by the island’s central bank over similar glitches ended.

Singapore DBS’ digital services hit days after MAS ban ends

Construction outfit and bus operator Epicon Bhd will exit Practice Note 17 (PN17) status on Friday following the completion of its regularisation plan.

Epicon, formerly Konsortium Transnasional, exits PN17 status

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

Lotte Chemical Titan Holdings Bhd (LCTitan) logged a net loss of RM178.03 million in the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024), making the group's eighth straight loss-making quarter.

LCTitan posts 8th straight quarterly loss ahead of planned plant turnaround

Surface engineering service provider Frontken Corp Bhd recorded a 27.4% jump year-on-year (y-o-y) in its net profit for the first quarter ended Mar 31, 2024 (1QFY2024) to RM30.05 million, from RM23.58 million last year, mainly due to improved revenue and better profit margin.

Frontken kicks off FY2024 with 27% jump in net profit on improved revenue, better profit margin 

Ajinomoto (M) Bhd’s RM2.12 special dividend announced in July last year in conjunction with a land disposal exercise will go ex on May 15.

Ajinomoto’s special dividend of RM2.12 goes ex on May 15

JAKS Resources Bhd's unit has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China-based CALB Group Co Ltd to explore opportunities in the battery energy storage system (BESS) market, with a particular focus on the Southeast Asia region.

JAKS partners CALB to tap into SE Asia's battery energy storage systems market

Sarawak Cable Bhd (SCB) has once again obtained a time extension to submit its Practice Note 17 (PN17) regularisation plan from Bursa Malaysia.

The deadline has now been extended by another six months to Sept 30 from March 31, its bourse filing on Thursday showed. The original deadline was Nov 1, 2023.

Sarawak Cable gets another time extension to submit PN17 exit plan

India's palm oil imports jumped by 41% in April from the previous month to reach the highest level in three months, as easing prices prompted refiners to increase purchases, five dealers told Reuters.

India's April palm oil imports jump 41% to three-month high, say dealers

UOA REIT, a trust which mainly manages commercial properties, said its net rental income fell 12.7% in its quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024) due to lower occupancy rates and higher property operating expenses.

UOA REIT’s net rental income drops 13% in 1Q as its properties record lower occupancy rates

India's food safety regulator said on Thursday it had ordered testing and inspections at all companies making spice mixes, widening an investigation into the sector as global regulators look into suspected contamination in two popular local brands.

India widens spices probe amid contamination concerns

Loss-making Annum Bhd said on Thursday it has received a show-cause notice from Bursa Malaysia over the company's failure to issue its annual report for the financial period ended June 30, 2023 (FY2023), which was due on Oct 31, 2023.

Annum still fails to issue annual report after landing auditor following 31 rejections; hit by Bursa show-cause notice

Hong Kong’s world-beating stock rally is showing no signs of letting up, with the city’s currency peg to the greenback burnishing its haven appeal amid the threat of higher-for-longer US interest rates.

Hong Kong stocks march into bull market as global money returns

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is confident that Parliament will approve the public service salary hike of more than 13% when it is tabled in Budget 2025 this October.