KUALA LUMPUR (June 26): Based on corporate announcements and news flow today, companies that will be in focus on Thursday (June 27) may include: NTPM Holdings Bhd, My EG Services Bhd, United Malacca Bhd, Yinson Holdings Bhd, Fintec Global Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, Scientex Bhd and Berjaya Media Bhd.

NTPM Holdings Bhd plunged into the red with a net loss of RM4.85 million for the fourth quarter ended April 30, 2019, compared to a net profit of RM1.18 million a year earlier, no thanks to higher raw material costs, which it said has surged by about 50% since late 2016.

Quarterly revenue grew 11% to RM182.17 million from RM164.52 million a year ago. Despite the net loss, the group declared a final dividend of 0.8 sen per share.

For the 12 months ended April 30, its annual net profit dropped 70% to RM8.96 million from RM29.71 million, despite cumulative revenue increasing 5.3% to RM728.05 million from RM690.93 million.

My EG Services Bhd has incorporated a new subsidiary — My EG Islamic Finance Sdn Bhd — with the intended activity of providing Islamic financial leasing and other Islamic credit granting activities.

Lower prices of crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK) weighed on United Malacca Bhd in the fourth quarter ended April 30, 2019 (4QFY19), resulting in a net loss of RM13.56 million against a net profit of RM968,000 in the previous year's same quarter. Revenue fell 10% to RM56.43 million from RM62.37 million.

The group fell into a full year net loss of RM41.76 million from a net profit of RM22.75 million a year ago, while revenue fell 27% to RM203.74 million from RM278.29 million.

Yinson Holdings Bhd’s net profit in its first quarter ended April 30, 2019 (1QFY20) fell 17.5% to RM49.85 million from RM60.43 million in the same quarter last year, as it accounted for a higher portion of profit to non-controlling interests.

Quarterly revenue was down 11.13% to RM209 million from RM235.18 million last year, as lower contribution from the offshore and marine segment offset the topline gains from other operations.

ACE Market-listed Fintec Global Bhd has axed its plan to acquire a 75% stake in Zouk Club KL for RM28.95 million.

Fintec said its unit Fintec Ventures Sdn Bhd has decided to terminate the sale and purchase agreement to buy the 75% stake in Zouk Club (KL) Sdn Bhd (Zouk KL) from Zouk Management Pte Ltd (ZMPL), AMS Lifestyle Pte Ltd, Circuit AIM Sdn Bhd and Wong Chi Yin @ Anthony Wong.

The termination, it said, was due to non-fulfillment of conditions precedent, stipulated in the agreement.

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PetChem), the petrochemical arm of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Plastic Energy Ltd, a chemical recycling company, to jointly perform a feasibility study to establish a facility to convert plastics waste into tacoil, which is Plastic Energy's optimal feedstock to create recycled virgin-quality plastics from low quality, mixed plastics waste that are otherwise destined for incineration or landfill.

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP) has disposed of its Indonesian subsidiary PT Mitra Austral Sejahtera (PT MAS) to PT Inti Nusa Sejahtera (PT INS) for US$29.7 million (RM123.1 million). PT MAS owns 7,074.04ha of oil palm plantation in Kabupaten Sanggau, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia.

SDP said the disposal is not expected to have any material effect on the group's earnings, consolidated net assets and consolidated gearing for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2019.

Scientex Bhd's net profit for the third quarter ended April 30, 2019 rose 19.2% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM72.88 million from RM61.14 million, on the back of better sales performance achieved from both the manufacturing and property divisions. Revenue for the period rose 38.9% y-o-y to RM828.46 million from RM596.42 million.

Scientex declared a first interim dividend of 10 sen per share, to be paid on July 23.

For the nine months ended April 30, net profit slipped marginally to RM200.3 million against RM201.52 million in the corresponding period a year ago, on the back of a 22.7% year-on-year rise in revenue to RM2.31 billion from RM1.88 billion.

Berjaya Media Bhd (BMedia) has been granted up to Dec 20 this year to submit a plan to regularise its financial conditions. The firm said Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd granted the extension yesterday.