<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p><span style="font-style: italics;">This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on December 23, 2019</span></p></div><div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p><strong>Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd (+ve)</strong></p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>TRADING of shares in Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd (HSP) (fundamental: 2.25/3, valuation: 1.2/3) triggered our momentum algorithm last Friday for the second time this year. The stock closed four sen or 2.04% higher at RM2 last Friday, with 276,600 shares done compared with its 200-day average volume of 51,906 shares.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>In a research note dated Dec 20, Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) reiterated its positive view on Hap Seng Plantation’s near-term earnings outlook, on an improving palm oil price sentiment and a mild fresh fruit bunch production growth.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Noting the company’s net profit plunging 98.8% to RM300,000 for the nine months of financial year 2019 (9MFY19) mainly due to lower realised palm product prices, HLIB said it expects a significant earnings improvement from the fourth quarter of FY19, driven by a sharp recovery in crude palm oil (CPO) prices. “Based on our estimates, for every RM100 per tonne change in our CPO price assumption, it will change our net profit forecast for FY20 by RM11.6 million.”</p></div>


Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd (+ve)

TRADING of shares in Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd (HSP) (fundamental: 2.25/3, valuation: 1.2/3) triggered our momentum algorithm last Friday for the second time this year. The stock closed four sen or 2.04% higher at RM2 last...

Stock With Momentum: Hap Seng Plantations Holdings

LILLE, France (April 19): Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved two spot kicks and survived a bizarre red card incident as his side beat French club Lille on penalties to reach the Europa Conference League semi-finals on Thursday.

A chaotic match ended 3-3 on aggregate after Li...

Martinez avoids red card, saves penalties to send Villa into semis

NEW YORK (April 19): A Florida jury on Thursday concluded that Johnson & Johnson's baby powder talc product did not cause the ovarian cancer of a Florida woman who died in 2019.

The lawsuit was brought by family members of Patricia Matthey, a Sarasota County resident who used Johnso...

J&J wins trial over Florida woman who claimed its baby powder caused her cancer

Dubai Airports Chief Operating Officer (COO), Majed Al Joker announced that Dubai International Airport (DXB) will resume normal operations within 24 hours, signifying a return to its full capacity and regular schedule.

Dubai International Airport set to resume full operations within 24 hours

The remains of the late Tan Sri Joseph Kurup arrived at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here at 11.20pm on a commercial flight.

The flight which was initially scheduled at 9.15am on Thursday was cancelled due to ash clouds from Mount Ruang’s volcanic eruption in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, engulfing the air space.

Remains of late Joseph Kurup arrive in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday night

FE Green Pet (M) Sdn Bhd’s new high-tech recycling factory is expected to make Melaka a green investment destination and complement the economic growth strategy in the state, said Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.

He said with an investment totalling approximately RM958 million, the plant on 14 hectares of land is projected to be completed by 2Q 2025, creating almost 500 jobs.

RM958 mil high-tech recycling factory puts Melaka on green investors map — Ab Rauf

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed lower for the fifth consecutive day, said palm oil trader David Ng.

He said the weaker soybean oil market and lower crude oil prices continue to pile pressure on prices.

CPO futures end lower for 5th consecutive trading day

The US dollar's dominant reserve currency status is likely to endure partly because even the most talked about alternative the Chinese yuan falls short as a credible challenger, Morgan Stanley said in a report on Thursday.

Rivalry with China, Russia's war in Ukraine, wrangling in Washington over the US debt ceiling and rising debt levels have put the dollar's status as the world's dominant currency under scrutiny in recent years.

Dollar's dominant reserve currency status to endure, says Morgan Stanley

Wall Street's main stock indexes gained on Thursday as investors cheered upbeat earnings across several sectors, while advancing megacap growth stocks were amongst the biggest boosts.

Megacap growth stock Meta Platforms outpaced peers and gained 2.7% after Bernstein raised its price target to US$590, a sixth such hike on the stock this week.

Wall St ticks up on megacaps, earnings boost

Goldman Sachs Group Inc President John Waldron warned that out-of-control spending could expose the US to serious risk in the event of a political crisis.

Goldman’s Waldron sounds alarm over US debt jolt to markets

The head of the International Monetary Fund warned the US that the global economy is closely watching interest rates and industrial policies given the potential spillovers from the world’s biggest economy and reserve currency.

“All eyes are on the US,” Kristalina Georgieva said in an interview on Bloomberg’s Surveillance on Thursday.

IMF boss says ‘all eyes’ on US amid risks to global economy

<p>Datuk Farhash Wafa Salvador, former political aide to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has ceased to be a substantial shareholder of HeiTech Padu Bhd, just one month after acquiring a 15.9% stake via a private vehicle in the company.</p>


Amid controversy over govt contracts, Farhash ceases to be HeiTech Padu substantial shareholder after one month

<p>Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) has recommended a final dividend of 3.5 sen for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2023 (FY2023).</p>

<p>This would equate to a payout of RM287.78 million, based on the bank’s share base of 8.22 billion shares as at end-December 2023, according to MBSB’s bourse filing on Thursday.</p>


MBSB proposes 3.5 sen dividend for FY2023

<p>Digital payment and financial technology provider Ant International is going to establish what it calls a new digital business centre in Malaysia, creating more than 500 job opportunities in the first year, with more hirings in the next four years until 2028.</p>


Ant International to set up new business centre in Malaysia, creating over 500 jobs

<p>Bursa Malaysia continued its upbeat momentum to end higher for the second straight day on Thursday, due to an improvement in sentiment and a resurgence in bargain-hunting following the recent downturn, said an analyst.</p>


Bursa closes higher on improved sentiment, bargain hunting

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): AwanBiru Technology Bhd (Awantec) said trading in its shares will be suspended from April 26, after the group failed to submit its regularisation plan to the regulators for approval within the stipulated timeframe.</p>


Awantec faces trading suspension from April 26 after failing to submit regularisation plan

<p>After spending over two years in court due to a suit from Empire Holdings Ltd, MAA Group Bhd, its major shareholder Tunku Datuk Yaacob Khyra and Turiya Bhd have been dropped as parties in the suit over MAA’s purchase of Turiya shares from a Bahrain-based bank. &nbsp;</p>


MAA Group exits legal bout over 2021 Turiya share acquisition under settlement deal

<p>Malaysia’s current tallest building, the Merdeka 118 tower, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification in the LEED v2009 Core and Shell rating system, marking it as the first megatall building in the country to achieve it, according to a press statement on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>


Merdeka 118 first megatall building in Malaysia to get LEED Platinum certification

<p>Pansar Bhd has secured a contract worth RM269.1 million to upgrade the capacity of a water treatment plant in Sibu, Sarawak.</p>

<p>The construction and infrastructure outfit secured the job from Lembaga Air Sibu via an open tender, through its wholly owned Perbena Emas Sdn Bhd.</p>


Pansar bags RM269m job to upgrade water treatment plant in Sarawak

<p>Australia brought 23 companies seeking investment in maritime decarbonisation and renewable energy (RE) sectors to Malaysia as part of the Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange programme.</p>


Australia brings 23 firms looking to invest in maritime decarbonisation, RE sectors in Malaysia

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday:</p>

<p>Datuk Farhash Wafa Salvador, former political aide to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has ceased to be a substantial shareholder of <strong>HeiT...

HeiTech Padu, Axiata, AmanahRaya REIT, AmFirst REIT, RHB Bank, 7-Eleven Malaysia, MBSB, Awantec, MAA Group, UMediC, Systech, Pansar, Auro, Kimlun and AWC

<p>High-impact projects such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and&nbsp;Special Financial Zone&nbsp;(SFZ) in Forest City can spur Johor’s economy to outpace that&nbsp;of other states in the next one to two years, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.</p>


Special economic, financial zones can help Johor surpass other states economically, says Anwar

<p>Engineering services provider AWC Bhd has bagged two contracts worth a total of RM19.39 million for plumbing works at Hospital Kapar in Selangor and a data centre in Cyberjaya.</p>

<p>In a statement on Thursday, AWC said the Hospital Kapar job was awarded to its wholly-owned subsidiary Qudotech Sdn Bhd by the project's main contractor, IJM Corp Bhd's unit IJM Construction Sdn Bhd.</p>


AWC secures plumbing jobs at Hospital Kapar and Cyberjaya data centre

<p>A former technician was brought before the Sessions Court again here on Thursday on a charge of posting offensive messages insulting Islam on his Facebook account in&nbsp;March, regarding the sale of stockings bearing the word 'Allah'.</p>


'Allah' socks insults: Former technician brought before Sessions Court again

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

<p>Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd has approved the transfer of UMediC Group Bhd’s listing status from the ACE Market to the Main Market, under the 'health care'&nbsp;sector.</p>


Bursa approves UMediC’s transfer to Main Market

<p>The developer of the&nbsp;Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) expressway will receive an official letter soon, notifying it of the cancellation of the construction project.</p>


PJD Link developer to get official letter soon on cancellation, says Nanta

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): Global video game commerce company Xsolla, Inc has collaborated with Curine Ventures to launch the Xsolla Curine Academy (XCA) in KL Eco City.</p>


Xsolla Curine Academy launched to foster growth in game development industry

<p>The allocations that the government has agreed to consider extending to elected representatives from the opposition are subject to terms and conditions, said DAP Parliament chief whip Nga Kor Ming.</p>


Nga: Proposed allocations for opposition reps conditional

<p><br />
KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd, known for its extensive network of convenience stores, declared on Thursday an interim dividend of 2.7 sen per share for its financial year ended Dec 31, 2023 (FY2023), after posting a record high net profit.</p>


7-Eleven declares 2.7 sen dividend for FY2023

<p>Surface decorative products company Topmix Bhd reported RM2.84 million net profit on the back of RM21.64 million revenue for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2023 (4QFY2023), ahead of its listing on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market.</p>
