From The Edge Markets:

Poh Kong Holdings Bhd ( Financial Dashboard) saw its net profit jump 496% to RM7.71 million or 1.88 sen a share for the second financial quarter ended Jan 31, 2015 (2QFY15), from RM1.29 million or 0.31 sen a share a year ago, on improved gross profit margin.

This was despite revenue for the quarter falling 4.6% to RM216.45 million, from RM226.91 million in 2QFY14, due to decreased demand for gold investment products and jewellery items.

Poh Kong (fundamental: 0.65; valuation: 1.2) said the improved earnings was due to improvement in gross profit margin during the quarter under review.

For the cumulative six months (1HFY15), Poh Kong's net profit grew 81.8% to RM10.79 million or 2.63 sen per share, from RM5.94 million or 1.45 sen per share a year ago.

Revenue increased a marginal 0.83% to RM410.41 million, from RM407.04 million in 1HFY14.

Going forward, Poh Kong said it would continue to consolidate its business, realign business strategies and undertake new initiatives to pursue sustainable growth and ultimately enhance profitability of the group.

i3i2i1, we have a self-appointed tukang tilik?

Baby diapers save the day for NTPM. Thanks all babies!

Join you, Howin, BIMB counter kaki. Mari, mari. BIMB bawa rahmat rezeki mali. Cepat beli untung diberkati, hati pun senang hati. 'Cornerstone' shareholders Lembaga Tabung Haji, EPF & Kumpulan Wang Persaraan have acquired millions of units from 18-19 Feb 2015. Something good in the making? Quarterly report ending March coming followed by declaration of interim dividend in April?

First Interim Single Tier Dividend of 7.25% for financial year ending 30 April 2015. Ex-date: 2 April. Entitlement: 6 April. Payment: 16 April. NTPM appetizer on GST implementation month.

Wa, MEGA Best Buy Sales Carnival 2015! Cross-counter promotions. Mari, mari, rezeki mari ...

Come on, go lower, lower. Collect

Companies in the news
PUC Founder, WCT, Gabungan AQRS, REDtone, Puncak Niaga, IHH Healthcare and Tambun Indah Land
By Sulhi Azman / theedgemarkets.com | March 16, 2015 : 8:18 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR (March 16): Based on corporate announcements and newsflow today, stocks in focus tomorrow could include: PUC Founder (MSC) Bhd, WCT Holdings Bhd ( Financial Dashboard), Gabungan AQRS Bhd (Financial Dashboard), REDtone International Bhd ( Financial Dashboard), Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd (Financial Dashboard), IHH Healthcare Bhd ( Financial Dashboard) and Tambun Indah Land Bhd.

''Builder cum property developer WCT Holdings Bhd (fundamental: 0.6; valuation: 1.8) has proposed a rights issue of shares on a one-for-10 basis, to raise RM107.61 million to RM143.23 million.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia this afternoon, the proposed renounceable rights issue comprises up to 143.22 million new ordinary shares of 50 sen each, on the basis of one rights share for every 10 existing WCT shares held.

The group said the entitlement date and issue price would be determined later. The proceeds will mainly be used for working capital, including repayment to suppliers and sub-contractors.

In addition, WCT also proposed a bonus issue of up to 315.09 million new warrants, on the basis of one free warrant for every five existing shares held.

Both the rights issue and bonus warrants are expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2015.'

Howin, agree with you. Believe in RH with pinches of salt. We need to do our own research too. To invest or not, we decide because it's our own money! RH people also cari makan punya. Their slant of report can be engineered to their partisan motives.

1.5b foreign investment capital flowed out last week.

The fundmentals and technicals all there, left the (investor) sentimentals, negative perception of 1MDB impact and other macro-economic factors of local and global financial landscape to sustain investors' interest or not. I feel that many people are treading cautiously while adopting a wait-and-see stance.

WCT HOLDINGS BHD

By MIDF Research

Buy (upgraded)

Target price: RM1.84

MIDF Research expects WCT Holdings Bhd share prices to rebound and opined that the company’s potential earnings growth has yet to be fully appreciated.

Shares in WCT Holdings Bhd has declined 8% since Feb 18 to RM1.60 on Thursday, after reaching a two-month high of RM1.74.

MIDF opined that the decline in WCT share prices was related to the company’s weaker financial year ended Dec 31, 2014 (FY14) results.

It added that WCT share prices had not reacted positively to the news of it securing RM1.2bil Qatar projects, which has taken almost two years to secure contract from the Middle East.

MIDF said the Qatar job would replenish 85% of its new job assumption of RM1bil for this year.

The project is expected to contribute an operating profit margin between 6% and 8%, which would deliver a profit of around RM51mil to RM68mil.

It noted that WCT was targeting to secure RM1bil each for sub-contract works within the

Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development project in Pengerang, Johor and infrastructure works within Tun Razak Exchange.

On WCT’s real estate investment trust (REIT) plan, MIDF said that it was still on tract to be implemented this year. It expected that WCT’s REIT to be valued at RM3bil.

MIDF has upgraded its call on WCT to “buy” with an unchanged target price of RM1.84. It maintained its earnings forecast for WCT pending further clarity on the timing of potential contracts.

I guess the management hopes more people will buy MBSB shares during this 'waiting' to push up the price. To me, corporate gimmick like this only show an indecisive, inefficient management.

i3i2i1, thanks for asking my question.

NST and STAR contrasting reports pitifully reflect inferior business journalism and ethics!

Good sharing and enlightening discourse here. REITs are also my favourite.

Efficient management with clients and shareholders' interests always at heart is fundamentally important.

Hopefully so.

What is MBSB management doing? In 4Q report ending 31 Dec 2014 posted in Bursar Malaysia, has proposed dividend of 12 sen. Until today, no Notice of Closure?

Contrast media report from NST quoting source BERNAMA

http://www.nst.com.my/node/76359?d=1

BIMB Holdings’ 2014 pre-tax profit dips to RM815m
13 MARCH 2015 @ 3:05 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: BIMB Holdings Bhd’s pre-tax profit was slightly lower at RM815.38 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2014 from RM819.43 million recorded during the 2013 financial year.

Revenue, however, increased to RM2.97 billion from RM2.81 billion.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia, the company said the decline in pre-tax profit was due to the RM68.2 million financing cost of its sukuk, which was used to partly fund the acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd in December 2013.

For the fourth quarter, BIMB Holdings’ pre-tax profit fell to RM219.85 million on the back of higher revenue of RM761.5 million.

Its unit Bank Islam recorded a 3.8 per cent stronger profit before zakat and taxation (PBZT) of RM702.8 million for the 2014 financial year, attributed to growth in business activities.

“As at end-December last year, customer deposits grew 10.1 per cent year-on-year to RM41 billion while the current and savings accounts reported a year-on-year increase of 7.3 per cent.

“The bank’s gross impaired financing ratio improved to 1.14 per cent compared with 1.18 per cent in 2013,” it said.

Meanwhile, for the year under review, its takaful unit Takaful Malaysia Group recorded 8.2 per cent better PBZT of RM188 million, due to lower management expenses, commissions and expense reserves. -- BERNAMA

4Q14 Pre-tax profit dips slightly.

There's always another quarter!

BIMB 4Q14 profit dips slightly.

Management need remember that once shareholders' trust is betrayed, the company loses investors' confidence. 'Once bitten, twice shy.'

Corporate cunning, opportunism?

Any viable corporate strategies are welcome as long as shareholders' profits are assured.

Forever, you got a point. In a proposed transaction involving QCapita REIT & MRCB, the adviser bank HLIB is seen to be partisan.
Nevertheless, the different calls of outperform, buy, hold or sell offer us valuable diversified opinion on which we can consider before making investing decisions.
Fundamental and technical data don't lie no matter how hard analysts try to massage the data to look good. Tracked against a confluence of prevailing macro-economic factors, financial reports and annual reports in the past five years would be objective indications of the company performance.
I'm sure the WCT management is presently actively engaged in efforts to monetise its unbilled receivables, property assets and other investment exposures to ease financial cashflow and realise earnings. An example is WCT's plan to REITise its asset-rich malls in 2015.
According to Bank Negara Annual Report 2014, the construction sector is projected to grow 10.5% and contribute about 0.4 percentage points to real GDP.

Attracts analyses by so many investment banks? WCT a construction heavyweight?

AT Systematization wins concession to supply solar energy to Tenaga
By Chester Tay / theedgemarkets.com | March 10, 2015 : 7:17 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 10): AT Systematization Bhd ( Financial Dashboard) has gotten the greenlight from Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA) to supply renewable solar energy to Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

The ACE-listed company announced to Bursa Malaysia this evening that its unit AT Engineering Solution Sdn Bhd (ATES) has secured the Feed-in Approval (FiA) from SEDA to supply up to 425 kilowatts (kW) of renewable energy.

“ATES is expected to sign an agreement with Tenaga Nasional Berhad ( Financial Dashboard) for the sale and delivery of renewable energy by ATES to Tenaga (fundamental: 1.3; valuation: 1.8) for a concession period of 21 years,” said AT Systematization (fundamental: 2.1; valuation: 0.3) in the announcement.

“SEDA has set a fixed rate-tariff of 69.77 sen per kWh and additional bonus rate-tariff ranging from five sen per kWh to 17.22 sen per kWh, at which ATES can sell electricity to Tenaga during the concession period,” it added.

ATES will be building a 425kW solar power plant on its existing factory in Bayan Lepas, Penang, by December this year. It estimates the plant would be able to generate RM11 million worth of renewable energy, during the concession period of 21 years.

Currently, AT Systematization said it is not able to determine the exact quantum of funds needed for the construction, nor the breakdown of funding.

AT Systematization’s shares rose half sen or 5% to 10.5 sen today, with 6.65 million shares done, giving it a market capitalisation of RM39.37 million.

Tenaga on the other hand, saw its share price appreciated four sen or 0.27% to RM14.66, with 9.72 million shares traded, valuing it at RM82.51 billion.
ATES will be building a 425kW solar power plant on its existing factory in Bayan Lepas, Penang, by December this year. It estimates the plant would be able to generate RM11 million worth of renewable energy, during the concession period of 21 years

Interesting revelations, ding dong.

Waiting for WCT to start REIT for its asset-rich malls.

Furthermore, 4Q2014 Report declares 2.68 sen!
Market sentimental unpredictable.

Up already

Bursa Malaysia announcement confirmed project awarded. Great.

The price will ding dong around the price range od 2.19-2.23.
With the weak ringgit currency and consumer sentiment tracking the imminent impact of GST in April, most banking institutions will seek consolidation of their capital base and cost-cutting opex for the next 6-8 months.

EPF is well-known for making timely entry and exit in high-yielding stocks to milk high profits only. Where got so much money to park in MRCB when they own 60% of MBSB, also substantial holder in BIMB, etc.? After milking profits from the disposal of MRCB property assets, EPF will cabut lari.

What news?

I don't think there will be any merger. It's just hot air newsflow by vested parties to stimulate buying and selling activities to generate profit-making.
With the current volatile, uncertain market scenario, negative credit integrity rating, low saving deposits in banking sectors, the impending impact of GST, the increasingly competitive financial and banking landscape, CAUTION is the word of the day.
Remember the failed TRI-merger revealed alleged bad provisioning standards by MBSB? Remember EPF became largest shareholder not by default but by financial technicality? EPF prefers to be investor. Remember EPF also plans to invest more in foreign equity?
Remember forays into overseas banking initiatives by big brother CIMB ended in disappointing results? EPF & BIMB shares common Chairman, possible conflict of interest?
... many more questions which warrant thorough deliberations. Any likely merger will take some time after macro-economic catalysts have stabilised.

Minority unitholders shortchanged, vested parties at management big gains. Moving investment assets out of QCapita. Migrating to UOAREIT and CMMT!

i3i2i1, wah big appetite. Hi, hi, hi

thanks

in that case, don't forget to tambah nilai at both counters!

Hey, don't forget MBSB and BIMB has same taiko Chairman in Shamsuddin.

assaji, EPF wants to capitalise short-term stock appreciation gains on CMMT's recent asset acquisition of Tropicana Mall and Tropicana Tower.

i3i2i1, smart move, smart gain.

Joel, like your teeth-gritting persistence with good argumentative data.

Both EPF and BIMB share a common Chairman!

No wonder BIMB is asking for an extention in their 4Q report? Probably needs more time to massage & finetune the financial accounts ending 31 Dec 2014 on a high note thus gaining better leverage?

Dakewlest, hot air newsflow only. Nothing affirmative as yet from management. How about roping in RCECap for the merger?

Can feel assured.