In the crowded landscape of the country’s consumer products and services sector, one company has quietly outshone its peers: trading and distribution outfit Harrisons Holdings (M) Bhd (KL:HARISON). Over the past few years, Harrisons has been delivering both revenue and profit growth, even during the disruptive pandemic.

The quiet titan of Malaysia’s consumer sector

Last year was a banner year for Teo Seng Capital Bhd (KL:TEOSENG), with record-breaking sales and earnings, indicating significant market expansion despite a challenging operating environment as inflationary pressures drove up raw material costs.

An egg-cellent year boosted by improved prices, subsidies

Focus Point Holdings Bhd (KL:FOCUSP), operator of Malaysia’s largest optical retail chain store, has been growing from strength to strength in the past few years despite having to face rising costs of doing business while inflationary pressure weighs on consumer spending.

Unwavering focus on the lens of growth

IT has been more than a decade since Axiata Group Bhd (KL:AXIATA) began investing in digital ventures in 2013, with an aspiration to create its own billion-dollar start-up, or what is widely known as a unicorn. While none of those ventures have attained unicorn status yet, Axiata’s current manage...

Cover Story: Axiata still has unicorn aspirations a decade on 

WITH global interest rates no longer on the rise, and at least one major central bank already trimming rates, Edotco Group Sdn Bhd — the world’s sixth largest telecom tower company — is all set for better days ahead, having prepped itself to welcome new strategic partners over the past two years....

Cover Story: Preparing Edotco for a more favourable macro environment

Digital Nasional Bhd announced on Friday that four mobile network operators (MNOs) have completed their respective share subscription agreements (SSAs) and acquired a 16.3% stake each in the 5G special purpose vehicle — higher than the 14% they were initially expected to take up — as Telekom Malaysia Bhd (KL:TM) has yet to complete its SSA.

Maxis, CelcomDigi, U Mobile and YTL Power buy 16.3% stake each in DNB instead of 14%, as TM yet to take up its portion

Sapura Energy Bhd (KL:SAPNRG) has granted chairman Datuk Mohammad Azlan Abdullah leave of absence with immediate effect to allow the 56-year-old to focus on ongoing investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) regarding a matter unrelated to the oil and gas engineering group.

Sapura Energy grants chairman leave of absence amid unrelated MACC probe

Permodalan Nasional Bhd’s (PNB) said on Tuesday that its net income grew by 26% last year as the country’s largest fund manager raised investments in fixed income, real estate, private markets and foreign assets.

PNB net income grows 26% in FY2023, optimistic on equity

TEN years since Southern Capital privatised HELP International Corp Bhd (HIC) in 2014, the private equity firm has decided to exit, and the buyer is none other than a consortium of shareholders led by the education group’s founding Chan family.

The family’s private vehicle — CL Heritage...

HELP University founding Chan family buys back controlling stake from Southern Capital 

The government has directed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to initiate the process of selecting mobile network operators (MNOs) to develop the country's second 5G network.

Putrajaya instructs MCMC to start process of identifying second 5G network developer

Spritzer Bhd (KL:SPRITZER) said it will spend between RM90 million and RM100 million in 2025 to upgrade and expand its production.

Spritzer to spend up to RM100m in 2025 to upgrade, expand production

US President Donald Trump will extend a June 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of short video app TikTok by 90 days despite a law that had mandated a sale or a shutdown absent significant progress, the White House said on Tuesday.

Trump will extend TikTok sale deadline for third time, White House says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will leave the Group of Seven summit on Tuesday with new aid from host Canada for its war against invader Russia but without a joint statement of support from members or a chance to meet with US President Donald Trump.

The G7 wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington.

G7 abandons joint Ukraine statement as Zelenskiy says diplomacy in crisis

The S&P 500 declined on Tuesday as fears over a potential US involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran caused traders to take risk off the table.

The S&P 500 Index closed down 0.8% in New York, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index lost 1%.

S&P 500 falls with geopolitics in focus amid Israel-Iran jitters

Rollout of generative AI and agents will reduce Amazon's total corporate workforce in the next few years, Andy Jassy, the CEO of the online retailer, said in a note to employees on Tuesday.

Amazon's corporate workforce may shrink as AI takes over routine tasks

US retail sales dropped more than expected in May, weighed down by a decline in motor vehicle purchases as a rush to beat potential tariff-related price hikes ebbed, but consumer spending remains supported by solid wage growth for now.

Weak US retail sales, manufacturing output point to softening economy

Here is a brief recap of Tuesday’s top local business news and corporate announcements.

Apollo, UWC, Jaycorp, Chin Hin, KPJ Healthcare, Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering, Yinson

South Malaysia Industries Bhd (KL:SMI) on Tuesday said it has rejected a proposal to nominate Teh Chee Hoe and three others as directors at its upcoming annual general meeting, citing violations of corporate and securities regulations.

SMI rejects board nominations ahead of AGM over regulatory concerns

Top officials from central banks and finance ministries were forced to call a timeout at a meeting of the world’s most powerful financial watchdog last week, amid clashes over the US stance on climate change.

US draws ire of France, Canada at meeting of finance regulators

Wall Street's main indexes slipped on Tuesday as the Israel-Iran conflict entered its fifth day, denting global investor confidence ahead of the Federal Reserve's upcoming monetary policy decision.

Wall Street slips as Middle East conflict escalates

Malaysia is still in the process of verifying news reports of a Chinese firm using servers equipped with Nvidia chips to train its artificial intelligence (AI) model.

Malaysia still verifying reports of Chinese firm using Nvidia-equipped servers to train AI model — Miti

Airline entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia owner Capital A Bhd (KL:CAPITALA), said on Wednesday he is in talks to buy 50 to 70 Airbus A321XLR jetliners, but signalled the first priority was to complete the group's restructuring.

AirAsia owner seeks jets for growth but restructuring first priority, CEO says

Pharmaniaga Bhd (KL:PHARMA) said on Wednesday that it will continue to stay in the black for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2025 (FY2025) after making a turnaround last year, according to the pharmaceutical group’s managing director Zulkifli Jafar.

Pharmaniaga eyes FY2025 revenue of RM4b, plots PN17 exit by 1Q next year

Australia's Woodside Energy has entered an agreement with a unit of Malaysian state-owned oil and gas firm Petronas to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Malaysia starting 2028, the two companies said on Wednesday.

Australia's Woodside Energy signs 15-year LNG supply deal with Petronas

Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz said the oil price of US$50 per barrel is an ideal break-even to maintain the national oil firm’s financial resilience and support steady energy investments.

Petronas chief sees US$50 oil price as break-even to sustain investments

Guocoland (Malaysia) Bhd (KL:GUOCO) said the group faces a net financial impact of RM5.54 million following an arbitration ruling against its wholly owned subsidiary over a disputed project termination.

Guocoland faces RM5.5 mil impact after arbitration loss to contractor

MN Holdings Bhd (KL:MNHLDG), an infrastructure utilities construction and engineering solutions group, said it has secured a RM39.59 million contract for the expansion of the electrical supply system for a cable landing station.

MN Holdings wins RM40 mil data centre-linked job

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has reaffirmed that private healthcare providers will still be required to implement the diagnosis-related group (DRG) system, although the initial rollout will be limited to selected public hospitals.

Private hospitals subjected to DRG system, says health minister

Pan Merchant Bhd (KL:PMIBHD), en route to the Ace Market, deserves premium valuations due to its operating cost and product price advantage over its international peers, said Malacca Securities.

Pan Merchant deserves higher valuations, says Malacca Securities in dissenting note

AirAsia has announced flight disruptions to and from Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bajo, following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara region.

AirAsia cancels, reschedules flights following Mount Lewotobi eruption

Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who is suing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for alleged sexual assault via a civil suit, is asking for Anwar’s stay application hearing at the Court of Appeal, scheduled for July 21, to be changed to instead hear Anwar’s appeal for his constitutional questions regarding the immunity from civil cases of a sitting prime minister to be put to the Federal Court.

Yusoff Rawther wants Anwar's appeal over constitutional questions of immunity for PM heard on July 21

Here is a brief recap of Wednesday’s top local business news and corporate announcements&nbsp;involving:&nbsp;Pharmaniaga Bhd, Scientex Bhd, Dagang NeXchange Bhd, MN Holdings Bhd, Guocoland (Malaysia) Bhd, LGMS Bhd, Farm Price Holdings Bhd and&nbsp;Kobay Technology Bhd. 
&nbsp;

Pharmaniaga, Scientex, DNeX, MN Holdings, Guocoland, LGMS, Farm Price, Kobay

The government has kicked off the formal rollout of its Reset programme, a coordinated reform framework to overhaul the country’s healthcare financing system and curb escalating costs.

Govt looks to Reset strategy to tame rising healthcare costs, overhaul financing model

US rates traders have amassed a record futures bet that the Federal Reserve will take on a more dovish tilt right after chair Jerome Powell’s term ends in May 2026.

Traders pile into bets that next US Fed chair will slash rates

There is a need for Malaysia to consider retirement reforms and increase workforce participation among older adults, as the country faces rapid demographic shifts that could weaken long-term economic growth, according to the World Bank.

World Bank flags ageing risks, says Malaysia should weigh retirement reforms

DATUK Seri Dr Edmund Santhara Kumar, who made headlines in 2021 for taking 55 days leave to visit New Zealand at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown when he was the deputy minister of Federal Territories, and his wife Carline Johnson D’Cruz were recently fined by a New Zealand High Court for unau...

Court: Edmund Santhara and wife fined for breaches in Kiwi land deal

Dagang NeXchange Bhd (KL:DNEX) has secured a RM103.76 million contract from the government to continue providing support for the Integrated Government Financial and Management Systems (iGFMAS) over a period of 60 months.

DNeX unit clinches RM104 mil iGFMAS contract from MoF

Below is a summary of how key Bursa Malaysia indices and the ringgit performed on Wednesday

FBM KLCI ends flat at 1,511.95 on June 18, 2025

Geopolitical tensions, coupled with&nbsp;oversupply issues, have put pressure on the global petrochemical industry, said Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (KL:PCHEM) managing director and chief executive officer Mazuin Ismail.

Geopolitical tensions, oversupply challenges weigh on global petrochemical industry — Petronas Chemicals CEO

Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party on Wednesday withdrew from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's government in a major blow to the embattled premier, leaving her ruling coalition with only a slim majority.

Chester Tay

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