KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 25): Based on corporate announcements and news flow today, companies that may be in focus on Monday (Nov 28) could include the following: Sime Darby, TM, Ikhmas Jaya, Titijaya, Tune Protect, Country Heights, Chin Hin, Padini, Mega First and Kerjaya Prospek.

Sime Darby Bhd's first quarter net profit increased 37% to RM443 million from RM323 million a year earlier due to higher profit from its motor and property divisions. The motor division involves car dealerships.

A reduction in group finance cost also supported net profit growth in the first quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 (1QFY17), Sime Darby told Bursa Malaysia today. Sime Darby said 1QFY17 revenue, however, decreased to RM10.1 billion from RM10.17 billion a year earlier.

"Profit before tax of the group at RM629 million was higher by 36.4% largely due to higher earnings from motors and property, and reduction in finance costs," Sime Darby said.

Sime Darby said its plantation, industrial and logistics units reported lower profit from a year earlier. The industrial division involves heavy-equipment dealership.

"The plantation division registered a slightly lower profit by RM29 million to RM273 million compared [with the] previous year mainly attributable to the lower fresh fruit bunch production, lower oil extraction rate and lower crude palm oil sales volume.

"In this uncertain and difficult operating environment, the board expects the group's performance for the financial year ending June 30, 2017 to be satisfactory," the group said.

Telekom Malaysia Bhd's net profit for the third financial quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 (3QFY16) fell 4.2% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM159.84 million or 4.25 sen per share from RM166.87 million or 4.44 sen per share, weighed by higher operating costs and foreign exchange losses.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, the country's largest telecommunication services provider said the higher operating costs arose from accelerated depreciation of WiMAX assets and write-off of dismantled sites.

"There were also minimal foreign exchange losses on international settlement in the current quarter compared to a significant net gain in [the] corresponding quarter last year," it explained.

Revenue for the quarter was flat at RM2.92 billion as reduction in voice and data services partially offset higher revenue from internet and multimedia, other telecommunication related services and non-telecommunication related services.

It did not declare any dividend for the quarter.

Net profit for the nine-month period ended Sept 30, 2016 (9MFY16) gained 22.4% to RM621.73 million or 16.54 sen per share from RM507.85 million or 13.6 sen per share mainly due to foreign exchange gains from the group's borrowings arising from the strengthening ringgit against US dollar over the current period.

Cumulative revenue was up 3.3% to RM8.82 billion from RM8.54 billion due to higher revenue from internet and multimedia, non-telecommunications related services, other telecommunication related services and data.

Ikhmas Jaya Group Bhd has bagged a piling job worth RM57.94 million from TTDI KL Metropolis Sdn Bhd for a high-rise mixed development within the KL Metropolis project.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the construction outfit said its unit Ikhmas Jaya Sdn Bhd has agreed and accepted the terms and conditions of the letter of award from TTDI KL Metropolis to undertake the piling works for the project.

Under the contract, Ikhmas Jaya said it has to complete the piling works for the serviced apartment foundation, pilecaps and lowest slab within eight months, with the expected completion date on July 17, 2017.

It said all other works shall be completed within 15 months by Feb 17, 2018.

Titijaya Land Bhd will be working towards achieving its sales target of RM300 million for financial year ending June 2017 (FY17) with property launches mainly located in the Klang Valley.

"One of the major launches for 2017 will be the joint-venture project with CREC Development (M) Sdn Bhd (CRECD) which has a gross development value of RM2.1 billion," the company said

Its group managing director Tan Sri Lim Soon Peng also said the company is moving into building affordable homes as part of its business portfolio diversification.

The company's net profit dropped 2% to RM20.04 million for the first quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 compared with RM20.63 million in the previous year.

However, there was a 27.2% increase in revenue to RM107.56 million from RM84.53 million in the corresponding period last year.

The significant increase was mainly contributed by the completion of its property project Seri Alam Phase I & II and ongoing projects namely, H2O and Seri Alam Residensi.

Seri Alam Phase I & II have an estimated total gross development value (GDV) of RM326 million while Seri Residensi has a GDV of RM102 million. The H2O property project in Ara Damansara has a GDV of RM794 million for its four-block development.

Better general insurance contribution coupled with a share of associate's results lifted Tune Protect Group Bhd's net profit for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 (3QFY16) by 11% y-o-y.

Net profit came in at RM14.34 million versus RM12.86 million a year ago, as revenue climbed 3% to RM126.08 million from RM122.77 million, its bourse filing showed.

For the cumulative nine months (9MFY16), net profit was up 39% y-o-y to RM63.43 million from RM45.49 million, as revenue climbed 9% to RM381.16 million from RM349.27 million.

Country Heights Holdings Bhd posted its third consecutive quarterly loss today, mainly due to lower sale of inventory and lower progressive revenue recognition of ongoing developments from the property development division.

It also saw lower contribution from the exhibition hall rental in its property investment division in 3QFY16 compared with a year ago.

Nevertheless, the group narrowed its net loss to RM5.05 million or 1.85 sen loss per share in the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 (3QFY16) from RM8.04 million or 2.92 sen loss per share a year ago.

Revenue fell 27.4% to RM19.65 million in 3QFY16 from RM27.08 million in 3QFY15.

For the cumulative nine months (9MFY16), the group's net loss narrowed to RM16.63 million from RM21.22 million a year ago, but revenue dropped 30.8% to RM66.16 million in 9MFY16 from RM95.58 million in 9MFY15.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Country Heights said the international economic landscape is likely to remain challenging and will be a key factor that will influence the prospects of the Malaysian economy.

Lower operating expenses lifted Chin Hin Group Bhd's net profit for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 (3QFY16) by 76% y-o-y to RM8.14 million.

The improved earnings were also due to lower finance costs and taxation, its income statement filed with Bursa Malaysia showed.

The group posted a net profit of RM4.62 million in the same period last year.

Revenue for the period, however, was down 12% y-o-y at RM241.81 million from RM276.19 million.

The weaker top line was primarily due to lower contribution from the distribution of building materials and ready-mixed concrete, though it saw higher contribution from the manufacturing of autoclave aerated concrete, better known as AAC, and precast concrete products.

For the nine months to Sept 30 (9MFY16), net profit rose 10% y-o-y to RM21.87 million from RM19.96 million, though revenue fell 13% to RM794.83 million from RM910.89 million mostly due to lower cost of sales.

Padini Holdings Bhd saw a 15% rise in revenue in its first quarter ended Sept 30, 2016, but net profit fell 10% due to what it termed "compressed margins" amid rising costs and sales events during the quarter.

Net profit fell to RM28.62 million or 4.35 sen per share from RM31.83 million or 4.84 sen per share a year earlier. Revenue was up at RM310.03 million compared with RM269.57 million previously, its Bursa Malaysia filing showed.

It said the higher revenue was contributed by five new Padini Concept Stores and nine Brands Outlet stores.

The group announced a second interim dividend of 2.5 sen per share for the financial year ending June 30, 2017 (FY17).

Mega First Corp Bhd's third quarter net profit rose 35.5% to RM35.9 million from RM26.54 million a year earlier due to recognition of construction profit and higher earnings in its resources and property division.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the power player said revenue for the quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 jumped 47.5% to RM215.02 million from RM145.77 million. Of this, RM88.2 million stemmed from the ongoing Don Sahong hydropower project.

However, the higher revenue from the hydropower project, of which 11.5% was completed as at September, and the resources division was partially offset by lower revenue from the existing power and property divisions, the group said.

Construction and property development outfit Kerjaya Prospek Group Bhd posted a net profit of RM25.5 million for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2016 versus RM4.14 million a year earlier, driven by contribution from its two subsidiaries, Kerjaya Prospek (M) Sdn Bhd and Permatang Bakti Sdn Bhd, that were acquired in January this year.

Revenue also climbed dramatically to RM190.47 million in 3QFY16 from RM21.69 million a year earlier. Earnings per share, however, edged up to 5.03 sen versus 4.56 sen previously.

In the bourse filing, Kerjaya Prospek said the outstanding performance, especially in the construction segment, mitigated slowdown in its manufacturing segment, which was due to completion of existing projects and market competition.

"With the encouraging take-up rate in the group's property development project, the segment is also expected to contribute positively to the group's earnings, moving forward," it said.

For the cumulative nine-month period (9MFY16), the company saw its net profit of RM73.75 million or 22.61 sen per share grow substantially from RM11.38 million or 12.53 sen per share in the previous period

Its revenue surged to RM569.88 million from RM60.37 million.