There has been significant interest on MAS' redeemable convertible preference shares (RCPS) which currently trade at RM0.935 and below its redemption value of RM1 upon maturity on 30 Oct 2012. There were concerns from some quarters that MAS will not be able to meet the redemption of the RCPS. We think the likelihood of MAS defaulting on its redemption obligation is low as this will significantly tarnish the credibility of the company as a national-flagged carrier as well as  impact  the overall Malaysian capital market. BUY the RCPS for short-term lower risk gain.

Overhanging uncertainties. The FBM KLCI closed 8.05 pts lower to 1,583.8 as uncertainties  over economic reforms in Europe hampered global sentiment. Domestic corporate news flows include: KFC Holdings and QSR Brands have agreed to sign definitive agreements of a share sale with Massive Equity SB which is jointly owned by Johor Corp and CVC Capital Partners, Fajabaru is expected to secure a RM299m LRT construction contract, Tanjung Offshore has proposed to sell its marine business to Ekuinas, MMC-Gamuda JV will purchase six variable density boring machines for RM360m and Sapura Crest and Kencana shares will be suspended next Wednesday before the capital repayment exercise. On the global front, the Dow closed 102 pts lower as political turmoil in Europe cast doubts on the  eurozone's ability to push through meaningful budget and economic reforms. The  poor global market sentiment could also be attributed to the declining business confidence in the eurozone, with the Market PMI falling to a five-month low ' thereby, confounding expectations for a rise.

US stocks joined a global selloff as political uncertainty in France and the Netherlands intensified concern about Europe's sovereign debt crisis. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 0.8% to 1,366.94, near its highest level of the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 102.09 points, or 0.8%, to 12,927.17. The Russell 2000 Index retreated 1.5% to 791.85. About 6.6bn shares changed hands on US exchanges, or 2.5% below the three-month average. (Bloomberg)

MMC Gamuda KVMRT SB, a JV between MMC Corp and Gamuda, sealed a RM360m sales and purchase agreement for six tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The six custom-designed TBMs will be used to tunnel through karstic limestone forming half of the proposed 9.5km mass rapid transit (MRT) stretch from Semantan North Portal to Maluri South Portal. (Financial Daily) Please see accompanying report

Telekom Malaysia's (TM) pay TV service, HyppTV, is optimistic of attracting subscribers from the French community here with the launch of France 24, the first and only premium French International news channel in Malaysia. HyppTV is an Internet Protocol TV service and France 24 will be aired via TM's high-speed broadband service, UniFi. (Financial Daily)

KFC Holdings (KFCH) and QSR Brands have agreed to sign definitive agreements of a share sale with Massive Equity SB (MESB). The companies told Bursa Malaysia separately yesterday that the date of execution would be no later than 21 May or another mutually agreeable date. (StarBiz)

Tanjung Offshore has proposed to sell its marine business to major shareholder E-Cap (Internal) One SB for RM220m under a demerger exercise. Tanjung Offshore said it had entered into a conditional agreement for the purchase and sale of shares with Kota Bayu Ekuiti SB (KBE), a wholly-owned by E-Cap, which in turn a major shareholder of Tanjung Offshore, for disposal by Tanjung of 10m ordinary shares of RM1 each in Tanjung Kapal Services SB (TKS), representing the entire equity interest in TKS, to KBE for a cash consideration of RM220m. (StarBiz) Please see accompanying report

DRB-Hicom has come out in the open to deny that it has decided to sell newly-acquired Lotus Group International  ' post takeover of Proton Holdings. The former is currently undertaking an operations audit on Lotus Group as part of its governance exercise. 'Contrary to reports that Lotus Group would be put under administration, DRB-Hicom is still supporting Lotus Group, both financially and management wise,' declared the company in a press release. (Malaysian Reserve)

Singapore's inflation accelerated more than economists estimated in March, justifying the central bank's decision to tighten monetary policy this month. The consumer price index rose 5.2% from a year earlier, after climbing 4.6% in February, the Department of Statistics said in a statement  yesterday. That exceeded the predictions of 17 of 18 economists in a Bloomberg News survey, where the median estimate was for a 4.7% increase. The core inflation rate was 2.9% in March. (Bloomberg)

Prices paid by Australian producers unexpectedly fell last quarter for the first time in more than two years, weakening the local currency and raising bets the central bank will cut interest rates next week. The producer price index dropped 0.3% in the January-to-March period from the prior quarter, when it gained 0.3%, the Bureau of Statistics said in Sydney yesterday. The median estimate of 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a 0.4% increase, with only one predicting a decline. The index rose 1.4% in the first quarter from a year earlier, less than the median forecast of 2.2%. (Bloomberg)

The debt of the euro region rose last year to the highest since the start of the single currency as governments increased borrowing to plug budget deficits and fund bailouts of fellow nations crippled by the fiscal crisis. The debt of the 17 euro nations climbed to 87.2% of gross domestic product in 2011 from 85.3% the previous year, official European Union figures showed  yesterday. That's the highest since the euro was introduced in 1999. Greece topped the list with debt at 165.3% of GDP, while Estonia had the least at 6% of GDP. (Bloomberg)

European Central Bank officials led by President Mario Draghi resisted calls from the International Monetary Fund and US Treasury to do more to  stem the debt crisis roiling the euro-area economy. As talks of global finance chiefs ended yesterday in Washington, euro-area central bankers from Draghi to Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann argued they have done enough by cutting interest rates and issuing more long-term bank loans. Officials in Europe and around the world are bickering about additional crisis-calming steps, as turmoil returns to the continent's bond market amid concern that Spain may need a bailout. (Bloomberg)

Spain's economy contracted in the first quarter, entering its second recession since 2009 that threatens the nation's deficit goals. The economy contracted 0.4% in the first quarter, the Bank of Spain said, after shrinking 0.3% in the previous three months. Gross domestic product fell 0.5% from a year ago, the Bank of Spain said, citing estimates based on data that are still incomplete. The National Statistics Institute publishes its first estimate on 30 April. (Bloomberg)

Italian consumer confidence plunged to the lowest in more than 15 years in April as Prime Minister Mario Monti's austerity drive deepens the recession in Europe's fourth-biggest economy. The confidence index declined to 89, the lowest since the series began in 1996, from a revised 96.3 in March, national statistics office Istat said in Rome yesterday. Economists forecast a reading of 96.2, according to the median of 12 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. (Bloomberg)

Source: OSK188