KUALA LUMPUR (July 28): Bursa Malaysia Bhd booked its highest quarterly net profit of RM86.23 million in the second quarter ended June 30, 2020 (2QFY20), up 86.08% from RM46.34 million last year.
The result is within expectation of analysts, who are seeing the company making its way to the best year since listing on higher activities in both securities and derivatives markets.
Quarterly earnings per share jumped to 10.7 sen, from 5.7 sen in 2QFY19. The stock market operator approved a quarterly dividend of 17 sen per share — also its highest ever — that goes ex on Aug 14, up from 10.4 sen last year.
Quarterly revenue, meanwhile rose 45.03% to RM179.78 million from RM123.96 million, largely thanks to a big jump in securities market trading revenue to RM110.1 million from RM58.8 million previously.
The extraordinary quarter brought Bursa Malaysia’s 1HFY20 results to its best since its listing in 2005, the company said, as the group benefited from market volatility which has resulted in higher trading activities in both securities and derivatives markets.
1HFY20 net profit jumped 61.98% year-on-year to RM150.96 million from RM93.19 million, as half-year revenue rose 31.95% to RM330.53 million from RM250.49 million.
“Our ongoing efforts to increase market vibrancy and liquidity [are] having a positive impact,” said chief executive officer Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift.
“We are witnessing strong retail participation and have recorded the highest trading in Bursa’s history of 12.5 billion on July 25, 2020.
“The emergence of millennials in the marketplace is also very encouraging and has been something we have been working very hard to achieve,” he added.
“We will continue to introduce new initiatives and streamlined product offerings, such as expanding the range of trading channels and platforms to improve the seamless digital journey on Bursa Malaysia for the new generation of investors,” he said.
At midday break, Bursa Malaysia's share price rose 24 sen or 2.3% to RM10.66, after touching a new record high of RM10.98 earlier. At its current share price, the company is valued at RM8.62 billion.