KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 27): Based on corporate announcements and news flow today, stocks in focus on Thursday (Feb 28) may include: MAA Group Bhd, AirAsia Bhd, Genting Malaysia Bhd, Genting Bhd, Pos Malaysia Bhd, Hengyuan Refining Co Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd, Sime Darby Property Bhd, TH Heavy Engineering Bhd, IHH Healthcare Bhd, MMC Corp Bhd, Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd and YTL Corp Bhd.

MAA Group Bhd’s major shareholders, Melewar Acquisitions Ltd and Melewar Equities (BVI) Ltd and persons acting in concert, have requested for MAA to undertake a selective capital reduction and repayment exercise.

The Melewar Group — holding a collective 38.67% stake — is looking to take MAA private at RM1.10 per share. The offer price represents a premium of three sen over MAA’s highest traded market price since MAA was designated a PN17 company.

AirAsia Bhd reported a net loss of RM394.97 million in the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2018 (4QFY18), on higher fuel prices and operating lease expenses, versus a net profit of RM372.65 million a year earlier.

Quarterly revenue grew 6.2% to RM2.82 billion from RM2.66 billion in 4QFY17, after total passengers carried increased 16%.

Full-year net profit rose 21.5% to RM1.98 billion from RM1.63 billion in FY17. Revenue rose 9.2% to RM10.6 billion from RM9.71 billion.

Genting Malaysia Bhd’s net profit jumped 60.11% on year to RM720.14 million in 4QFY18, from RM449.79 million, on lower effective tax rate. It still finished FY18 in the red — its first annual loss since 2000 — on higher impairment losses.

Quarterly revenue, however, slipped 1.47% to RM2.51 billion, from RM2.54 billion in 4QFY17.

For FY18, GenM’s net loss stood at RM19.59 million, against a net profit of RM1.16 billion, despite revenue rising 6.4% to RM9.93 billion from RM9.33 billion.

It proposed a special dividend of 8 sen per share and a final dividend of 5 sen per share.

Genting Bhd’s net profit jumped nearly five times to RM655.16 million in 4QFY18, from RM132.1 million a year ago, mainly due to lower impairment losses, and higher Ebitda.

Quarterly revenue grew 2.63% to RM5.4 billion from RM5.26 billion in 4QFY17.

The group declared a final dividend of 6 sen per share and a special dividend of 7 sen per share for FY18.

FY18 net profit slid 5.48% to RM1.37 billion from RM1.44 billion, although revenue rose to RM20.85 million from RM20.03 billion.

Pos Malaysia Bhd posted a second straight quarterly loss, with a net loss of RM13.02 million for 3QFY19 — versus a net profit of RM9.48 million — due to continued decline in snail mail volume and lower logistics earnings contribution.

Quarterly revenue dropped 6.36% to RM581.24 million from RM620.72 million in 3QFY18.

For the nine-month period, net loss stood at RM24.62 million, versus a net profit of RM64.22 million last year. Revenue fell to RM1.76 billion from RM1.82 billion previously.

Hengyuan Refining Co Bhd posted its second consecutive quarterly net loss for 4QFY18 — compared with a net profit of RM204.09 million in 4QFY17 — as sales volume fell 21% resulting from its scheduled production downtime from August to October.

Quarterly revenue was 18.7% lower at RM2.51 billion versus RM3.09 billion.

Hengyuan’s FY18 net profit stood at RM30.84 million, down 96.7% from RM929.76 million in FY17, while revenue stood at RM11.24 billion, from RM11.58 billion.

UMW Holdings Bhd returned to the black in FY18, with a net profit of RM341.66 million, from a net loss of RM640.61 million in FY17 on improvements at its core segments and the reversal of provisions.

Revenue rose 2.2% to RM11.31 billion from RM11.07 billion.

UMW announced a final dividend of 2.5 sen per share for FY18.

In 4QFY18, despite a 9.9% fall in revenue to RM2.68 billion, UMW recorded a net profit of RM15.07 million versus a net loss of RM422.11 million before.

Sime Darby Property Bhd posted a maiden loss of RM347.5 million in 2QFY19, against a net profit of RM138.08 million last year; while revenue rose 12.1% to RM788.81 million, from RM703.63 million.

The sharp decline was attributed to gains on disposal of a subsidiary and associate recorded in the previous year, high impairment of inventories, negative contribution from its Battersea project, and a higher tax provision.

For 1HFY19, net loss stood at RM318.7 million against a net profit of RM559.77 million previously. Cumulative revenue increased 7.9% to RM1.27 billion, from RM1.18 billion.

TH Heavy Engineering Bhd is profitable for a second consecutive quarter — after a string of losses in prior years — with a net profit of RM907,000 in 4QFY18 versus a net loss of RM33.37 million in 4QFY17.

Quarterly revenue surged 518.5% to RM2.18 million from RM352,000 before, on facility charges for an ongoing project and higher fabrication construction activities.

FY18 net loss shrank 97.5% to RM2.57 million from RM103.5 million previously, while revenue slipped 52.1% to RM2.59 million from RM5.4 million.

IHH Healthcare Bhd's 4QFY18 net profit jumped 403% to RM509.42 million from the RM101.26 million it posted a year ago, as it recorded stronger operational performance and foreign exchange gains from Acibadem Holdings' non-Turkish Lira loans.

Revenue rose 10% to RM3.17 billion from RM2.89 billion in 4QFY17.

FY18 net profit fell 35% to RM627.69 million from RM969.95 million, despite revenue rising 3% to RM11.52 billion from RM11.14 billion.

The group recommended a final dividend of 3 sen per share for its FY18.

MMC Corp Bhd’s net profit surged 59.8% to RM119.72 million for 4QFY18 from RM74.91 million previously, on full consolidation of Penang Port Sdn Bhd’s results, higher contribution from the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya MRT 2 Line, no share of losses from Zelan Bhd and higher share of profit from Malakoff Corp Bhd.

Revenue for the quarter jumped 28% to RM1.59 billion from RM1.23 billion.

FY18 net profit increased 4.9% to RM220.08 million, while revenue rose 20% to RM5.01 billion.

Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd’s net profit soared 39% to a record high of RM109.29 in 4QFY18, versus RM78.57 million in 4QFY17 on increased O&M activities.

Quarterly revenue rose 21.2% to RM978 million, from RM806.87 million before.

The group declared a fourth interim dividend of 2.3 sen per share.

FY18 net profit grew 25.9% to another record high of RM387.9 million, while revenue was 20.6% higher at RM3.28 billion.

YTL Corp Bhd’s 2QFY19 net profit declined 64.8% to RM44.82 million against RM127.45 million previously, despite a 17% growth in revenue to RM4.55 billion, due to weaker performance across its hotels, cement manufacturing, property investment and development, management services and others, and utilities segments.

For the six-month period, YTL’s net profit fell 36.6% to RM170.61 million, while revenue expanded 10.6% to RM8.64 billion.