<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): CIMB IB Research has downgraded Axiata Group Bhd to “Hold” at RM4.25 with unchanged target price of RM4.40 and said Axiata’s FY18 core EPS missed expectations due to wider digital business losses.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>In a note today, the research house said Celcom and Dialog underperformed while XL, Robi, Smart and Ncell did better.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>“Downgrade to Hold as share price nears unchanged SOP-based target price,” it said.</div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): CIMB IB Research has downgraded Axiata Group Bhd to “Hold” at RM4.25 with unchanged target price of RM4.40 and said Axiata’s FY18 core EPS missed expectations due to wider digital business losses.

In a note today, the research house said Celcom and Dialog underper...

CIMB Research downgrades Axiata, target price RM4.40 

Annum Bhd (KL:ANNUM), formerly known as Cymao Holdings Bhd, has been categorised a Practice Note 17 (PN17) company as its new external auditor Messrs SBY Partners PLT expressed a disclaimer of opinion on its audited financial statements for the 18 months ended June 30, 2023, after they failed to obtain sufficient evidence to verify the group's assets.

Annum slips into PN17 after auditor says it can't vouch for company's financials

An entrepreneur was fined RM80,000 by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Tuesday for using unauthorised communications equipment known as an ‘SMS Blaster’, which caused serious disruption to network and cellular services.

Entrepreneur fined RM80,000 for using unauthorised SMS Blaster

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives snapped two consecutive days of gains to end lower on Wednesday, said a dealer.

Mumbai-based Sunvin Group commodity research head Anilkumar Bagani said the weakness in the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean oil futures during Asian trading hours and the Malaysian Palm Oil Association’s (MPOA) estimates weighed down CPO prices.

CPO futures snaps two-day winning streak to end lower

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) will provide two electric train services (ETS) for the Padang Besar- KL Sentral route and vice versa in conjunction with this year's first-term school holidays from May 24 till June 3.

KTMB in a statement on Wednesday announced that the additional train tickets will go on sale at 8pm on Thursday (May 9).

KTMB will provide two additional ETS services ahead of first-term school holiday

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia held bilateral talks focusing on the agriculture sector, research and efforts to improve market access between the two countries, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, said Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu highlighted the potential of several Malaysian products for export to Saudi Arabia, such as tropical fruits, value-added animal products and animal feed, ready-to-eat products, egg and dairy products, as well as aquatic products like frozen catfish.

Malaysia, Saudi Arabia hold talks to boost agriculture sector, market access

Pharmaniaga Bhd’s (KL:PHARMA) has been flagged by its independent auditors again, as its current deficit and capital deficiency for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2023 (FY2023) widened from a year ago.

Messrs PricewaterhouseCoopers PLT (PwC) raised material uncertainty on the Pharmaniaga whereby its audit indicated that the group and the company incurred net losses of RM78.7 million and RM63.3 million respectively.

Pharmaniaga’s auditors raise going concern again as current deficit, capital deficiency widen

Sarawak Cable Bhd (KL:SCABLE) has to go back to the drawing board and look for a new white knight to regularise its financials.

The Practice Note 17 (PN17) company announced that the Memorandum of Agreement it entered with Serendib Capital Ltd has fallen through.

Sarawak Cable needs a new white knight as 'resuscitation exercise' falls through

Paragon Globe Bhd (KL:PGLOBE) is selling part of a parcel of freehold land it had just acquired in the district of Plentong, Johor Bahru, for RM238.32 million to improve its liquidity and financial position.

Paragon Globe to sell part of JB land it just bought for RM238 mil

In today’s edition of Evening 5: 00:00 Top 100 stocks add RM175 bil to market cap 01:54 Axiata, Sinar Mas seeking permission for merger from Indonesian govt 03:09 Record earnings push MNRB to record highs 04:26 Finance costs weigh on Sentral REIT 06:03 Go Hub Capital gets nod for ACE Market listing

EVENING 5: Malaysia’s top 100 stocks add RM175 bil to market cap

EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

Shares in Sime Darby Plantation Bhd [KL: SIMEPLT] rose to their highest in two years following its announcement to develop the Tali Ayer estate in Perak into a green industrial park.

Sime Darby Plantation shares surge to two-year high following proposed solar project in Perak

Shell said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell its refinery and petrochemical assets in Singapore, Asia's main oil hub, to a joint venture between Indonesian chemicals firm Chandra Asri and Swiss miner and commodities trader Glencore.

Shell to sell Singapore refinery, petchem assets to Chandra Asri and Glencore

Homegrown information and communications technology (ICT) distributor Vstecs Bhd’s (KL: VSTECS) wholly-owned subsidiary, Vstecs Ku Sdn Bhd, has been picked as Amazon Web Services' (AWS) first distributor in Malaysia.

Amazon Web Services picks Vstecs as first distributor in Malaysia

Interim liquidators appointed by the Shah Alam High Court pursuant to a petition by Hitachi Ltd to look into the affairs of its wholly-owned Fusiotech Holdings Sdn Bhd are investigating claims of potential diversion of business by Fusionex Malaysia to third parties.

Fusionex liquidators probing alleged diversion of business to third parties

Malaysia’s largest 100 companies added RM175.33 billion to their market value since the start of the year as optimism for a US Federal Reserve rate cut fuelled a broad rally in sectors ranging from technology to utilities.

RM175 bil poured into Malaysia's top 100 stocks since start of 2024, more seen coming

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Petronas Dagangan Bhd (KL:PETDAG) faces a threat from Saudi Aramco’s possible entry into Malaysia’s fuel retailing market, on top of the impending withdrawal of fuel subsidies, CGS International warned.

Petronas Dagangan faces twin share de-rating threats — CGS

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Insurer and reinsurer MNRB Holdings Bhd’s (KL:MNRB) net profit more than doubled year-on-year (y-o-y) in the fourth quarter, thanks to lower insurance expenses and higher investment income, sending its shares surging to an all-time high.

MNRB logs record profits from lower insurance expenses, higher investment income

Offshore drilling firm Velesto Energy Bhd (KL:VELESTO) is expected to report that its net profit may more than tripled in the first quarter (1Q) from a year earlier with all of its rigs utilised, Maybank Investment Bank said.

Velesto may report strong 1Q results with rigs fully occupied — Maybank IB

China has extended the visa-free policy for short-term visits to China for Malaysia and 11 other countries until the end of 2025, Xinhua reported, citing Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.

China extends visa-free travel policy for Malaysia until end of 2025

The US has revoked licences that allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies, three people familiar with the matter said.

US revokes Intel, Qualcomm's export licences to sell to China's Huawei — Reuters

MNRB Holdings Bhd (KL:MNRB) was Bursa Malaysia’s biggest gainer on Wednesday, after the insurer and reinsurer announced record quarterly and annual net profit for the financial year ended March 31, 2024 (FY2024).

MNRB makes biggest single-day jump after record FY2024 earnings

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government is prepared to engage with the US counterparts to understand the details regarding possible sanctions against Malaysian companies.

Govt prepared to engage with US counterparts over possible sanctions — Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): The global semiconductor industry is expected to rebound this year, driven by demand for generative artificial intelligence (AI), with the industry’s upcycle likely to continue until 2025 or 2026, said Nomura Asset Management.

Global semiconductor industry to recover this year through 2026 on generative AI demand — Nomura

SYDNEY/HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (May 8): Global private equity investors and asset managers are readying for billions of dollars worth of mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;As) and investments linked to data centres in the Asia Pacific, as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom fuels demand for digital infrastructure.

AI boom set to fuel data centre deals in Asia this year

Shares of Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL:BURSA) extended gains to its highest since March 2021, following news that Malaysian stocks trading in its exchange hit a historical high of RM2 trillion in market capitalisation on Tuesday (May 7).

Bursa Malaysia shares hit fresh three-year high as local equities breach RM2 trillion market cap

A Singapore Air Force F-16 jet crashed during takeoff at a military airbase, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.

Singapore Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashes after takeoff

The former director and chairman of the board of SRC International Sdn Bhd has slammed Datuk Seri Najib Razak for passing the blame to the board for the misappropriation of RM3.6 billion from the company, saying the accusation was nothing more than an afterthought and without basis.

Former SRC director slams Najib for blaming SRC board for misappropriation of RM3.6b, says his accusation a baseless afterthought

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Go Hub Capital Bhd (KL:GOHUB), a provider of information technology (IT) services catering to the transportation sector, said on Wednesday that it has received approval for its listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.&nbsp;

IT services firm Go Hub Capital gets Bursa Malaysia nod for ACE Market listing

The emergence of digital banks in Malaysia does not significantly impact traditional banks, primarily due to their limited ability to achieve rapid growth within the initial years of operation.

S&amp;P Global Ratings senior analyst, financial institution ratings, South and Southeast Asia (SSEA), Sue Ong said that the five digital banking licences issued by the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in 2022 do not seem to be a game changer for now.

Digital banks will not affect traditional banks in Malaysia — S&P Global Ratings

Industronics Bhd said it has been appointed as the project management company to develop a hotel and golf course on a 155-acre parcel of land in Langkawi.