KLSE 

Dated 2012-01-30
More KLSE news from:
http://www.thestar.com.my

  OSK Holdings announces new chairman
KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Holdings Bhd today announced the retirement of Dr Choong Tuck Yew as Director and Chairman of OSK Investment Bank Bhd (OSKIB), a wholly owned subsidiary of OSK, effective January 28……

  Bank Muamalat to focus on increasing non-Muslim customers
 …..

RHB S’pore upbeat on growth despite global economic problems
SINGAPORE: Despite the challenging global economic environment, RHB Bank Bhd Singapore (RHBSG), is confident of maintaining growth while expecting more active participation in debt issuance and helping fund the needs of corporate clientele across the…..

AirAsia passenger traffic up 12.3% in Q4
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd announced that it flew 7.931 million passengers in the fourth quarter of its financial year ended Dec 31, 2011, a 12.3 per cent increase over the 7.063 million passengers in the corresponding quarter in 2010……

ING’s takaful unit eyes 10% market share by 2015
ING Public Takaful Ehsan Bhd, a unit of ING Malaysia, aims to have a 10% share of the takaful market in 2015, from about 1% share currently……

Elaf Bank issues loan to Serba Dinamik Sdn Bhd
KUALA LUMPUR: Elaf Bank B.S.C. has concluded an Ijarah Muntahia Bittamalluk loan facility to Serba Dinamik Sdn Bhd to finance a five-year contract awarded by Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd……

Maybank concludes US$330.6 million Syndicated Term Facility for PT Bajradaya Sentranusa
KUALA LUMPUR: The Maybank Group has concluded the syndication of US$330.6 million Syndicated Term Facility for PT Bajradaya Sentranusa (BDSN)……

Public Bank Bhd posts 3.6% increase in net profit
Public Bank Bhd posted a 3.6% year-on-year increase in net profit to RM877mil for its fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2011, and cited the improved performance as mainly due to higher net interest and net income from its Islamic banking business……

Sundry goods wholesale co-op to be set up in Sabah
SANDAKAN: The Sabah branch of the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia wants to establish sundry goods wholesale cooperatives in every parliamentary constituency in the state……

KLTM closes sharply higher
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Tin Market (KLTM) closed on a steady note today with the metal gaining US$350 per tonne to US$24,350 per tonne on strong demand from European buyers, dealers said……

AirAsia X making arrangements for 30,000 cancelled online bookings
LONDON: AirAsia X is making arrangements for at least 30,000 cancelled online bookings following the low-cost carrier’s withdrawal from London, Paris and India, its chairman, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, said……

Sukuk dominates fund-raising in 2011 with RM78.9bil
KUALA LUMPUR: Ringgit-denominated sukuk issuances dominated fund-raising activities approved by the Securities Commission (SC) in 2011, accounting for RM78.9 billion out of RM118.9 billion total funds approved through the capital market……

M’sia will remain key destination for S’poreans to spend holidays
SINGAPORE: Malaysia will remain the key destination for Singaporeans to spend their holidays due to its close geographical proximity and cordial bilateral ties with the country, says Tourism Malaysia director for Singapore, Zalizam Zakaria……

FBM KLCI is down 7.35 points at market close
The FBM KLCI closed 0.48% or 7.35 points down to 1,513.55 at 5pm today……

More players expected to produce hot-rolled coils
PETALING JAYA: The 12-year old monopoly in hot-rolled coils (HRC) by Lion Group unit Megasteel Sdn Bhd in Malaysia is likely to be broken with the emergence of at least two potential HRC and hot-rolled plate players within the next two years……

Leong Hup to be delisted soon
MUAR: Leong Hup Holdings Bhd is expected to be delisted from the Bursa Malaysia Main Market by end-March upon the completion of its proposed capital-repayment exercise, executive director Tan Sri Francis Lau Tuang Nguang told StarBiz. …..

Values that an ang pow can convey
WHEN I was growing up, we would receive ang pows with coins. The 40-sen ang pows were fairly common although I had a grand aunt who would give us 4-sen ang pows……
  M’sian stocks expected to trend higher this week
KUALA LUMPUR: BURSA Malaysia is expected to trend higher this week along with other regional markets, boosted by positive news from the United States and Europe……

  Khazanah unit now 2nd largest healthcare group outside US
AS you walk into the large lobby of the Fulya Hospital in Istanbul, the thing that greets you is a grand black piano. For a moment, you may wonder if it is a hospital or a hotel……

Work on OM Holdings smelter in Johor progressing well
KUCHING: OM Holdings Ltd expects the on-going engineering design work for its manganese alloy smelter and sinter ore plant in Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex in Johor to be completed in the third quarter this year……

Analysts praise Sime’s foray into rubber plantation in Indonesia
PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Bhd’s maiden foray into the rubber plantation industry in Indonesia is an excellent long-term prospect, according to research analysts……

Range-bound trading seen for palm oil this week
KUALA LUMPUR: Crude palm oil (CPO) futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are likely to witness range-bound trade next week amid concerns over slowing demand……

Rubber prices expected to be firmer this week
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian rubber prices are likely to trend firmer this week while tracking regional futures markets……

KLTM to see good buying interest this week
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Tin Market (KLTM) is expected to see continued good buying interest, keeping the commodity above US$24,000 per tonne……

Bonus/Rights Issues
Bonus/Rights Issues…..

Quest for the golden cross in Wall Street
NEW YORK: January has turned out strong for equities with just two trading days to go. If you’re afraid to miss the ride, there’s still time to jump in. You just might want to wear a neck brace……

Japanese shares will likely gain this week
TOKYO: JAPANESE shares will likely gain this week, helped by upward trends in emerging economies and the United States, dealers said Friday……

Dampened markets seen in US
NEW YORK: BLOCKBUSTER earnings from Apple drove a surge on the Nasdaq last week, but otherwise markets were dampened by mixed quarterly reports and dull economic data……

Exxon to sell part of Tonen stake for US$3.9b
TOKYO: Exxon Mobil plans to sell a large part of its 50% stake in Tonen-General Sekiyu KK back to its Japanese refining partner in a deal that could be worth about 300 billion yen (US$3.9bil), and will make an announcement soon, according to four sou…..

RBS chairman waives bonus after public anger
LONDON: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) chairman Philip Hampton will not pick up a £1.4mil (US$2.2mil) stock bonus, the bailed-out bank said, following public anger and political squabbling over a £1mil bonus for its chief executive.       …..

China’s mutual funds lose $19.5 billion in Q4 2011
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s securities mutual funds made a combined loss of 123.5 billion yuan ($19.5 billion) in the fourth quarter of last year mainly due to a weak stock market, the official China Securities Journal said on Monday……

China’s Wen: government debt risk “”controllable”"
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Premier Wen Jiabao said the nation’s government debt is at an “”overall safe and controllable”" level, that funding for key projects would be ensured and that applying the brakes to the economy would be done in a way to av…..

China’s mutual funds lose $19.5 billion in Q4 2011
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s securities mutual funds made a combined loss of 123.5 billion yuan ($19.5 billion) in the fourth quarter of last year mainly due to a weak stock market, the official China Securities Journal said on Monday……

ABB near $4 billion deal for Thomas & Betts
NEW YORK/ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss engineering company ABB was near an agreement on Sunday to acquire U.S. manufacturer Thomas & Betts Corp for about $4 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter……

Iran vows to stop “”some”" oil sales as inspectors visit
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran sent conflicting signals in a dispute with the West over its nuclear ambitions, vowing to stop oil exports soon to “”some”" countries but postponing a parliamentary debate on a proposed halt to crude sales to the European Unio…..

Regulators weigh action on UBS $2 billion trading loss
ZURICH (Reuters) – Regulators in Britain and Switzerland may take steps against bank UBS for shortfalls in oversight that allowed an alleged rogue trader to run up a huge loss, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with …..

South Korea’s current account surplus in December rose to an alltime high
SEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) South Korea’s current account surplus in December rose to an alltime high while exports and imports both rebounded from a threemonth losing streak, providing some relief for the heavily exportdependent economy, central bank da…..

EU leaders to agree on permanent bailout fund
BRUSSELS, Jan 30 (Reuters) EU leaders will sign off on a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone at a summit on Monday and are expected to agree on a balanced budget rule in national legislation, with unresolved problems in Greece casting a shadow on…..

ABB to buy Thomas & Betts for $3.9bil
ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss engineering group ABB said on Monday it had agreed to buy U.S. electrical components maker Thomas & Betts for $3.9 billion in cash to broaden its inroads into the world’s largest market for low-voltage products……

ECB’s Makuch says sees some recession risks
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) – The euro zone could fall back into recession this year, an ECB Governing Council member said on Monday, adding the bank’s non-standard measures were a significant funding and confidence boost……

Philips will look for growth outside Europe: CEO
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Philips Electronics will look for growth outside Europe and is confident of closing its TV deal in the first quarter, the chief executive said on Monday in an interview with CNBC……

Southeast Asian airlines to profit as Myanmar opens
SINGAPORE, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Southeast Asian carriers are set to profit from the expected surge in the number of leisure and business travellers to Myanmar as it re-emerges from political isolation, but poor infrastructure is likely to slow developm…..

Philips Q4 core profit in line, cautious about 2012
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Philips Electronics on Monday reported fourth-quarter core profit of 503 million euros, down from 913 million euro a year ago, and said it is cautious about 2012 given uncertainty in the global economy, particularly in Europe……

China 2011 property loans slow, bill financing surges
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese banks extended a total of 1.26 trillion yuan ($199.4 billion) in new loans to property developers and home buyers in 2011, down 38 percent from 2010, the central bank said in a statement on its website on Monday……

China to make Shanghai the world’s yuan centre by 2015
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will make Shanghai the global centre of yuan trading, clearing and pricing by 2015, according to a specific state plan laying out the city’s future as an international financial centre……

Citi chairman Parsons considers stepping down
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Citigroup’s chairman, Richard Parsons, is considering giving up the position to focus on other interests, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the situation……

Analysis: Corporate cash hoard screams “”buy”" for investors
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Apple’s blowout quarter this week increased its cash holdings to almost $100 billion, a staggering hoard that casts a spotlight on what may prove a big catalyst for the U.S. equity market in coming years……

Banks, Internet companies team up to fight spam
BOSTON (Reuters) – Some of the world’s biggest Internet companies and financial services firms have developed a new approach to fighting email spam that they hope will reduce online scams……

Hedge fund BlueCrest to float off BlueTrend unit
LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) Hedge fund BlueCrest Capital Management is planning to list its BlueTrend division on the London stock market, as part of plans to develop its business further and attract new investors……

Sri Lanka won’t draw balance of $2.6bil IMF loan
COLOMBO, Jan 30 (Reuters) Sri Lanka, which is locked in a row with the International Monetary Fund over its exchange rate policy, will not draw the remaining $800 million of a $2.6 billion loan from the global lender due to the high interest rate, th…..