(May 9): Goldman Sachs on Wednesday said they no longer expect OPEC+ to announce a partial unwind of voluntary production cuts in June.

The bank said inventories have recently surprised to the upside, and as a result, their model now estimates only a 37% chance of a production increase ...

Goldman Sachs sees OPEC+ unlikely to raise production at June meeting

(May 9): Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organization's pandemic accord because the country says it would have to give away a fifth of its vaccines, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

Britain will only agree to a legally binding global accord if there is a commitment that...

UK refuses to sign global vaccine treaty, The Telegraph reports

(May 9): Vacation rental company Airbnb reported a higher quarterly profit on Wednesday but forecast second-quarter revenue below Wall Street expectations, sending shares of the company down 8% after the bell.

Accommodation companies in the first quarter have seen the demand for travel ...

Airbnb forecasts weaker Q2 revenue despite robust demand for international travel

(May 9): Trading app Robinhood Markets beat estimates for first-quarter profit thanks to strong trading volumes and rate hikes that boosted its net interest revenue and sent shares up about 6% after the bell on Wednesday.

Hopes of a soft landing have encouraged retail traders to wade ba...

Robinhood beats profit estimates on interest income strength

SEOUL (May 9): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed "firm support and solidarity" for Russia in his congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the end of World War Two, state news KCNA agency said on Thursday.

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North Korea's Kim expresses support for Putin in Victory Day message, KCNA says

Intel said on Wednesday its sales would take a hit after the US revoked some of the chipmaker's export licences for a customer in China, in a move Beijing complained was going too far in the name of national security.

Intel, Qualcomm say exports to China blocked as Beijing objects

App provider Telegram is ready to work together with the government to fight rampant digital piracy on its platform, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.

He added that several meetings have been held with Telegram to discuss the issue, the latest being in April.

App provider Telegram ready to work together to fight digital piracy — Fahmi

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a lawyer on Wednesday afternoon on suspicions of soliciting and accepting a bribe of around RM1.6 million from an entrepreneur.

The suspect, who is in his 30s, was arrested at a fast food restaurant around Ipoh, Perak at around 12 noon after receiving RM100,000 in cash and two cheques for RM1.5 million, a source said.

MACC arrests lawyer for soliciting, accepting RM1.6 mil bribe

The Biden administration is poised to open up a new front in its effort to safeguard US AI from China and Russia with preliminary plans to place guardrails around the most advanced AI Models, the core software of artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, sources said.

US eyes curbs on China's access to AI software behind apps like ChatGPT

The benchmark S&P 500 was broadly unchanged on Wednesday, pausing after a recent rally as investors assessed the outlook for US monetary policy, while Uber's shares dropped on a downbeat forecast.

Uber shed nearly 9%, becoming the biggest decliner on the S&P 500, after the ride-hailing platform forecast second-quarter gross bookings below expectations and posted a surprise first-quarter loss.

S&P 500 pauses after recent gains as investors assess rate path

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

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.

Widad’s largest shareholder appoints Industronics to manage Langkawi golf course, hotel development

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

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX has amassed billions of dollars more than it needs to cover what customers lost in its November 2022 collapse, setting them up to receive full recoveries, plus interest, a rare outcome in US bankruptcy proceedings.

FTX has billions more than needed to pay bankruptcy victims

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 issue again as current deficit, capital deficiency widen

Fitters Diversified Bhd [KL:FITTERS] saw Doris Wong Sing Ee emerge as its substantial shareholder after she acquired 45 million shares in the fire protection equipment supplier.

Wong acquired 45 million Fitters shares from the open market on May 3, raising her stake in the fire protection equipment supplier to 5.12%, Fitters bourse filing showed.

Metronic Global director Wong emerges as Fitters’ substantial shareholder

Dufu Technology Corp Bhd’s (KL:DUFU) net profit for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024) fell by 59.3% year-on-year to RM4.43 million or 0.8 sen per share from RM10.88 million or 2.1 sen per share mainly due to a drop in revenue and higher overhead costs.

Dufu Tech 1Q net profit falls 59% mainly due to lower HDD components sales 

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

Mega First Corp Bhd (MFCB) is buying a 64% stake in CSC Agriculture Holdings Sdn Bhd, a company that is involved in plantation and the wholesale of fruits and vegetables, for RM25 million.

Mega First buys 64% stake in CSC Agriculture for RM25 mil

KUALA LUMPUR (May 8): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Wednesday:

Sentral Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:SENTRAL), or Sentral REIT, posted a 30.29% increase in its net property income in the first quart...

Sentral REIT, Vstecs, Dufu Tech, MNRB, Mega First,  Ivory Properties, Paragon Globe and Sarawak Cable

The Home Ministry (KDN) has inked 14 contracts with local companies valued at RM2.156 billion in conjunction with the Defence Services Asia (DSA) Exhibition &amp; Conference 2024 and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2024.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the signing of the contracts is symbolic of the ministry’s continuous efforts for agencies under its purview.

Home Ministry signs 14 contracts with local companies worth over RM2 bil

Malaysian conglomerate Axiata Group (KL:AXIATA) and Indonesian group PT Sinar Mas have sought permission from the Indonesian government to merge their telco units, the communications minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

Axiata, Sinar Mas seeking permission for Indonesia telco merger, minister says

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

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

Intel Corp expects second-quarter revenue to fall below the midpoint of previously issued projections because of a new US ban on chip exports to Huawei Technologies Co.

Intel sees revenue falling below midpoint on US Huawei ban

The Transport Ministry (MOT) does not reject any strategic partnerships with private parties to provide services for its agencies, but such partnerships needed to be done properly and required official approval.

Its minister, Anthony Loke said the ministry did not want any company to launch or announce any services for government departments suddenly without the knowledge of the ministry itself.

Loke tells BJAK to submit official application for strategic partnership with MOT, JPJ

Practice Note 17 (PN17) company Ivory Properties Group Bhd (KL:IVORY) said in a Bursa Malaysia filing on Wednesday it had been granted a restraining order by the High Court of Malaya in Penang to restrain all further proceedings against the company including winding up, execution and arbitration from its creditors.

The restraining order, which will last for a period of three months from April 19, 2024, is to enable Ivory Gleneary Sdn Bhd (IGSB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ivory Properties, and its creditors to formalise the proposed scheme of arrangement and thus allow for the extension of time to submit the company's regularisation plan in order to get out of the PN17 status.

Ivory Properties gets three-month restraining order to avoid winding up proceedings by creditors

Financial planners need to carry out their duty to report any suspicious activities, that might be linked to money laundering, to the authorities, Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division assistant director ACP Foo Wei Min.

Financial planners should report suspicious activities to authorities — police

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested a company director and a law firm owner on suspicion of submitting false information related to foreign currency investments, totalling approximately RM38 million.

Company director, law firm owner detained over RM38 million investment case — MACC

SINGAPORE (May 8): Local telco operators StarHub and M1 are said to be back to exploring a potential merger of their businesses, according to TMT Finance, citing five sources familiar with the matter.

David Yaffe-Bellany

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