KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 22): Malaysian stocks will pick up next year as confidence returns to the market as people now know what to expect after the budget announcement, Robert Huray, CEO of RHB Investment Bank says in interview in Kuala Lumpur late Wednesday.

* Foreign funds are more willing to invest, he says

* Malaysia will see more IPOs in 2019 than this year given the planned QSR Brands and Leong Hup first-time share sales

** Malaysia saw $153.8m IPOs so far in 2018, down from $1.7b for the whole 2017: Bloomberg data

** NOTE: Malaysia KFC Operator Said to Tap Banks for $500 Million IPO (1)

* Equity capital markets to see “good activity” as interest rates and emerging currencies start to stabilize, according to Ankur Khandelwal, head of ECM at RHB

** “With the budget out, we are seeing a good traction on the deals we are working on”: Khandelwal

* Co. is working on 4-5 live deals involving global names, says James Yeo, head of M&A at RHB

* RHB plans to add more people to M&A team, Yeo says

* NOTE: RHB ranks second on Malaysia’s equity and rights offering in 2018, up 2 steps from 2017: Bloomberg data