KLSE STOCK WATCH 

Dated 2011-07-30


  Temasek Formation offers to buy Jotech, AIC and AutoV for RM696mil
KUALA LUMPUR: Temasek Formation Sdn Bhd, the vehicle of Datuk Goh Tian Chuan, is proposing to acquire the entire business and undertakings including all assets and liabilities of Jotech Holdings Bhd, AIC Corp Bhd and AutoV Corp Bhd for RM696mil to be…..

  Steel federation calls for ceasefire in media battle with Megasteel
PETALING JAYA: The ongoing media war between Megasteel Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Iron and Steel Federation (MISIF) on the issue of additional duty on imported hot rolled coils (HRC) should be put to a stop……

Australia wants oil palm growers to adopt sustainable practices
SYDNEY: The best way for Malaysia to counter the rising negative sentiment in Australia towards palm oil, says the Australian food industry, is to quickly increase the production of sustainable palm oil. One suggestion is to set a deadline for grower…..

Asian markets adopt a wait-and-see attitude to US debt crisis
PETALING JAYA: Market sentiment in Asia continued to slide yesterday due to the political impasse among lawmakers in the United States over the nation’s debt crisis, and investors’ wariness concerning debt problems in the eurozone……

Net financing to private sector RM24bil higher in June
PETALING JAYA: Net financing to the private sector expanded by RM24.1bil or 12.9% in June versus RM17.5bil or 12.2% in May, driven by higher private debt security (PDS) issuances, Bank Negara said in a statement yesterday……

Najib says no nod given to firm for Trans-Asian Oil and Gas Pipeline project
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was taken by surprise when he was told that a local company would spearhead a US$100bil (RM297bil) Trans-Asian Oil and Gas Pipeline (TAOG) project between Asean and China starting from Mersing……

Sime Darby: No plans to separate plantation assets
PETALING JAYA: The management of Sime Darby Bhd has again emphasised that there are no plans to de-merge its plantation assets from the group’s other businesses……

Press Metal unit secures RM400mil loan facility
KUALA LUMPUR: Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd (PMB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Press Metal Bhd, has secured a RM400mil syndicated term loan facility to expand the second phase of its aluminium smelting plant in Samalaju, Sarawak……

JEFI looks to expand shrimp business with RM375mil investment
KUALA LUMPUR: JEFI AquaTech Resources Sdn Bhd (JEFI) is looking to expand its export-based business locally with a RM375mil investment on a shrimp-farming project……

IOI to boost FFB production
PETALING JAYA: IOI Corp Bhd’s proposal to acquire 11,978ha of oil palm plantations in Sabah from a unit of DutaLand Bhd is part of the group’s efforts to boost its plantation land bank and production efficiency……

BCorp plans to buy China water supply and wastewater firm
PETALING JAYA: Berjaya Corp Bhd is looking to buy a 85% stake in DSG Holdings Ltd, which is mainly involved in water supply and wastewater treatment projects in China, for US$25.97mil (RM77.91mil)……

Chevron aims to open up to 20 Caltex stations
PETALING JAYA: Chevron Malaysia Ltd is seeking to open between 15 and 20 Caltex petrol service stations annually with an investment of RM2mil to RM15mil for each……

Your 10 questions with Jason Lo
Jason Lo answers your 10 questions……

Up close and personal with Fernando Lanzer
He does what he’s passionate about – working with people. This HR specialist trains people on the importance of human capital and cultural diversity……

Treasury Pulse
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HK billionaires told to move gates closer to their homes
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s billionaires are finding it harder to buy peace and quiet these days……

  BSkyB spending £1bil to soothe investors
BSkyB, whose board on Thursday voted unanimously to keep News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch’s son James as its chairman, will return £750mil to investors with a share buyback and a further £253mil pounds via a final dividend of 14.54 pence a share……

  Brussels opens probe on Royal Mail revamp
BRUSSELS: Europe’s anti-trust watchdog yesterday launched a probe into British government plans to take on the Royal Mail’s hefty pension fund and deficit when the postal service is privatised in 2012……

EU to track bankers earning a million euros
LONDON: Top banks in the European Union will have to tell their supervisors how many staff earn more than a million euros a year, draft proposals showed on Thursday.       …..

NAB won’t bid for Lloyd’s branches now
SYDNEY: National Australia Bank has decided not to bid for 630 Lloyd’s branches on sale in Britain under current terms because it was put off by the expected £3bil (US$4.9bil) price tag and a high funding gap, three sources familiar with the deal sai…..

Swire to sell Hong Kong mall to Temasek’s Mapletree
HONG KONG: Conglomerate Swire Pacific plans to sell a major shopping mall in Hong Kong to Singapore state investor Temasek’s Mapletree Investments for HK$18.8bil (US$2.4bil) to fund its real estate projects in Hong Kong and China.       …..

Japan’s ANA posts losses on quake
TOKYO: Japan’s All Nippon Airways yesterday said it swung to a group operating loss of 8.1 billion yen (US$104.2mil) in April-June from profit a year earlier after the March disasters hit demand……

Samsung profit outlook weakens
SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co is relying on the smartphone market to boost group profits after its flat-screen unit reported a second quarter of losses and the mainstay chip business struggled……

US Q1 economic growth stagnated
WASHINGTON: The US economy grew at a dead-pace 0.4% in the first quarter and only 1.3% in the second quarter of 2011, the government said yesterday in a report that was far worse than expected.    …..

Tiger Air: Singapore ops still buoyant
SINGAPORE: Budget carrier Tiger Airways said yesterday demand for its flights from Singapore remain buoyant despite the suspension of its domestic operations in Australia, said chief executive Chin Yau Seng.             …..

City Hall is flexible
KUALA Lumpur is the largest and most densely populated city in the country. For that reason, urban redevelopment is likely to impact it more and earlier than other cities……

Plugging the gaps in urban renewal
Urban renewal is necessary if cities are to thrive. When cities thrive, the country progresses. From Penang to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru, the major cities in Malaysia are heading towards urban renewal. It is not unique to Malaysia……

Development needs people
IN any renewal programme, the question to ask is the carrying capacity of the city because ultimately structures do not make a city, people do……

Kampung Baru redevelopment – an ambitious project
THE impending redevelopment of Kampung Baru, which is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, will be one of the most challenging urban regeneration projects by the Government……

Pipeline or piped dreams?
Anita Gabriel questions the checks and balances put in place and whether who you know can take precedence over how much you actually have in the Malaysian corporate world……

Greek bailout Mark II – it’s a default
Lin See-Yan discusses Greece’s bailouts, itsfailed plans and the bleak future of Europe……

Business judgment, corporate decision making
Board meetings are about decision making on a variety of matters. The supervisory and monitoring duties dominate. However a corporation is a wealth creation entity and major business transactions are placed before boards that demand deliberation and…..

City councils hold the ticket for a better tomorrow
City councils should prioritise overall long-term development over quick moneymaking business ventures, says Thean Lee Cheng……

Putting Malaysia on the global luxury tourism map
Abdul Rahim Rahman feels that more needs to be done to lure foreign investors especially into the Malaysian luxury villas market……

MAS appoints Md Nor as chairman
PETALING JAYA: National carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has announced the appointment of Tan Sri Md Nor Md Yusof as chairman effective Monday……

Talent acceleration is required to develop leaders
TWO individuals, equally bright and highly educated. Yet, one always outperforms the other in his or her career advancement……

Cream of the crop and succession planning
ONE of the companies leading the way in terms of ‘accelerating’ their employees talent and leadership is Malakoff Corp Bhd. Its chief executive officer Zainal Abidin Jalil, spent many years working in numerous countries in multiple roles with Exxon-M…..

R&D needs more support to power growth
IF one were to assess the success of a nation in terms of its wealth and economic growth, innovation would surely play a significant role. Countries that have embarked on research and development (R&D) in a big way are now enjoying the fruits of thei…..

US default deemed unlikely
THE US debt ceiling crisis is fast approaching the Aug 2 deadline and the markets are already signalling their collective nervousness if no deal could be struck in the penultimate hours of the self-imposed deadline……

Dijaya Corp thinks big
AFTER keeping a low profile in the past with sales below the RM500mil cap, property developer Dijaya Corp Bhd is changing course and moving into higher gear to become a more active developer with higher sales targets……

Location a key factor for SouthKey’s JB project
SOUTHKEY Properties Sdn Bhd is banking on the strategic location of its integrated mixed development project in Johor Baru as the main selling point to attract local and foreign property buyers……

Ogilvy emerges big winners in Cannes festival
CREATIVE agency Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia were big winners at the recent Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, but awards aren’t everything, says group executive creative director Gavin Simpson……

Kadence is focused on providing solutions to clients
MARKET research firm Kadence International Sdn Bhd thinks about the conclusions to be drawn from its research right at the start when designing the research project……

Going back in time for business reasons
Author Niall Ferguson brings history to lifeand draws on the rise and fall of civilisations……

Snapshots
Compiled by THEAN LEE CHENG…..

Outcome of debt plan dictates direction
The Standard & Poor’s 500-share Index added 1.22 points to 1,345.02 and the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 24.40 points to 2,858.85 as investors poured into technology-related issues the previous Friday, and promising earnings from chip-maker triggere…..

Eye On Stocks
Property stock Country Heights Holdings Bhd pulled back from a near four-year peak of RM1.30 on July 7 to a low of RM1.10 a week later during the recent correction due to profit-taking……