Yet another feather in United Plantations Bhd’s (UP) hat. The Perak-based planter has won The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) 2023 corporate award for the highest return on equity (ROE) over three years in the plantation sector. This is the fifth BRC award that the company has won over the years. It bagged two CR Awards as well in 2013 and 2016.

HIGHEST RETURN ON EQUITY OVER THREE YEARS: PLANTATION: United Plantations Bhd - Three consecutive years of record profits

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 29): Bank Negara Malaysia expects the country’s export growth to remain in contraction in the near term, albeit at a milder pace as downside risks remain, stemming from weaker external demand.

BNM: Exports to continue to contract in near term

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 28): Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) plans to generate a total of 3,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy by 2040, within the ambit of its National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) flagship projects.

TNB to generate 3,000MW renewable energy by 2040

Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research said it is neutral on VS Industry Bhd (VSI)’s additional 11% stake acquisition in HT Press Work Sdn Bhd (HTPW) for RM2.6 million, as it will take a while for this to have meaningful contributions.

HLIB neutral on VS Industry's 11% stake acquisition in HT Press Work and flattish overall orders

Targeted fuel subsidies could hit the middle-income group (M40s) the hardest, as the top 20% income earners (T20) will be better able to absorb the higher fuel costs while the bottom 40% households (B40) will be eligible for handouts to buffer the resulting higher inflation, said an analyst and economist.

Targeted fuel subsidy could squeeze M40s hardest, say experts

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted two stocks with positive momentum and seven stocks with negative momentum during Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon session on Wednesday.

Ocean Vantage, Sealink, Catcha, Swift Haulage, Spring Art, Puncak Niaga, United U-Li, SWS Capital, Formosa Prosonic

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 27): The Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3) said there needs to be improvements towards more consistent and credible reporting by financial institutions under the Climate Change and Principle-based Taxonomy (CCPT).

Joint committee encourages financial institutions on consistent reporting under Climate Change and Principle-based Taxonomy

PublicInvest Research has derived a fair value of 28 sen for ACE market-bound SSF Home Group Bhd, which is slated to be listed on Oct 10, based on a 12 times price-earnings multiple to its financial year 2025 (FY2025) earnings per share forecast of 2.3 sen.

ACE market-bound SSF Home seen expanding retail outlets post-listing

Poh Kong Holdings Bhd’s net profit plummeted 83.3% to RM4.98 million or 1.21 sen per share in the fourth quarter ended July 31, 2023 (4QFY2023), from RM29.84 million or 7.27 sen per share a year ago, due to a fall in sales volume and increased operating expenses.

Poh Kong 4Q net profit down 83% on lower demand, high operating expenses 

Foreign appetite for emerging markets including Malaysia is expected to remain strong for the remainder of the year as investors are looking to diversify funds in light of the widening risk-reward ratio on Wall Street as another Federal Reserve rate hike looms.

Cheaper valuation of emerging market stocks set to attract strong foreign investment, says Rakuten Trade

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued a unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Monday, accusing it of pushing borrowers into unaffordable loans to buy homes from Clayton Homes, Berkshire's manufactured housing business.

US regulator sues Buffett's Berkshire unit over risky home loans

The Melaka government plans to introduce local authority by-laws requiring livestock owners to tag their animals with quick response (QR) code.

Melaka to tackle roaming livestock risks with QR code tagging

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Monday.

MAHB, Oriental Kopi, Kerjaya Prospek, Kumpulan Kitacon, T7 Global, Aizo, Keyfield, Citaglobal, D&O

International benchmark Brent crude will average US$65 (RM293.22) a barrel this year, as new oil production from non-Opec countries outstrips the growth in global crude consumption, according to Bank of America Corp (BofA).

Oil averaging US$65 in 2025 to keep Opec+ under pressure, BofA says

Walt Disney Co and streaming provider FuboTV Inc agreed to combine their online live TV businesses, creating the second-biggest digital pay-TV provider.

As part of the transaction, Disney will fold its Hulu+ Live TV business into Fubo, creating a new venture that will be 70%-owned by Disney and the rest by Fubo, Disney said in a statement on Monday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg report.

Disney agrees to merge Hulu+ Live into Fubo, settles Venu suit

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have been speaking through representatives, and he believes the two leaders will get along.

Trump says he and China's Xi have been talking through aides

US President-elect Donald Trump denied a Washington Post report that his aides are considering narrowing his tariff plan so that it would only apply to limited specific critical imports.

Trump says his tariff policy won’t be pared back

Justin Trudeau will announce his resignation as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party on Monday morning, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) reported, triggering a contest to replace him as prime minister.

Canada’s Trudeau to quit as Liberal Leader, says CBC 

US President Joe Biden is indefinitely blocking offshore oil and gas development in more than 625 million acres (252.93 million hectares) of US coastal waters, warning that drilling there is simply “not worth the risks” and “unnecessary” to meet the nation’s energy needs.

Biden bars offshore oil drilling in US Atlantic and Pacific

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants all ministries to focus on enhancing capabilities in the fields of tourism, investment and economy, with the involvement of all states through the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) campaign.

PM tells all ministries to improve capabilities in fields of tourism, investment, economy

A three-member Court of Appeal bench on Monday ruled to allow former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal, to have the merits of his challenge over the existence of an addendum, purportedly issued by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong for him to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest, to be heard at the High Court.

Najib's addendum appeal allowed via majority decision, case reverted to High Court

Cafe chain operator Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd set its initial public offering (IPO) price at 44 sen apiece in a share sale that would raise RM183.96 million ahead of its listing on the ACE Market.

ACE Market-bound Oriental Kopi to raise RM184 mil, sets IPO price at 44 sen

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 6): Shares of NationGate Holdings Bhd (KL:NATGATE) hit a fresh high on Monday, after gaining 23 sen or 9.1% at RM2.75, becoming the fifth biggest gainer on Bursa Malaysia.

NationGate hits new record high on first mover advantage, deliveries of AI GPU servers

Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd, a cafe chain operator en route to the ACE Market, said it is not spared from rising cost pressure and plans to raise prices to mitigate the impact.

Oriental Kopi to raise menu prices amid rising raw material costs

Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, representing the government and other respondents in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal over a purported addendum, told the Court of Appeal on Monday that the addendum was never discussed or brought up during the Federal Territory Pardons Board’s 61st meeting on Jan 29 last year.

AGC claims no due diligence on Najib’s part to produce additional evidence on purported addendum, maintains February release as main order

Demand for Malaysia’s palm oil could rise if Indonesia goes through with its plan to raise export levy to support the higher biodiesel mandate, TA Securities said on Monday.

Raising the export levy to 10% would add US$26.49 per tonne, making Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) even more expensive than Malaysia’s product, the research house said. The price of Indonesia’s palm oil is already at a premium of US$146.30 per tonne above that of Malaysia, it noted.

Demand for Malaysian palm oil could rise if Indonesia raises exports levy — TA Securities

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 6): Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, who is former treasury secretary general, will bring in two former 1MDB board members as third parties in a US$6.59 billion suit filed by the strategic development company against him and former 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy. This follows the Federal Court’s ruling to dismiss their application for leave to reverse an earlier Court of Appeal’s (COA) decision that had allowed Irwan to bring in the two former board members as third parties.

Two ex-directors to be included as third parties in US$6.59b 1MDB suit after apex court denies them leave to appeal

CBH Engineering Holdings Bhd (KL:CBHB) saw its initial public offering (IPO) of 94.05 million shares — available to the public at 28 sen apiece — oversubscribed by 34.21 times.

CBH Engineering’s IPO shares for public oversubscribed by 34 times

Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad&nbsp;Zahid&nbsp;Hamidi has appealed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to grant a full pardon to the jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Zahid pleads with King for full pardon of Najib following court's decision allowing addendum appeal

PIE Industrial Bhd (KL:PIE) is seen as a major beneficiary of global supply chain shifts and technological trends, according to Maybank Investment Bank.

The house noted that as an EMS provider, PIE is poised to benefit from new sources of earnings growth.

Maybank initiates a 'buy' on PIE on trade diversion, data centre boom

A former hedge fund manager whose firm made billions during the global financial crisis is ready to pounce on volatility again, as he sees threats to market stability at a level not seen since 2008.

Trader who made billions in 2008 returns to bet on market swings

Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), the consortium proposing to privatise Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) (KL:AIRPORT), has extended the closing time and date for the acceptance of its takeover offer to 5pm on Jan 17, 2025, from 5pm on Jan 8, 2025, previously.&nbsp;

Khazanah-EPF consortium gives MAHB shareholders seven more working days to accept takeover bid

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 6): U Mobile has signed an agreement with the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), in which&nbsp;the telco will play a critical role in supporting the group in its digital transformation drive.&nbsp;

U Mobile, Felda ink agreement to support digital transformation

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted 14 stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Monday. 13 stocks showed negative momentum, while only one stock showed positive momentum.

Stocks with momentum on Jan 6, 2025: Kumpulan Fima, Eurospan, Velocity Capital, Inta Bina, Radiant Globaltech, Ramssol, Evergreen Max Cash, Minox, Carlsberg, Lien Hoe, Southern Steel, Aeon Co, Xin Synergy and Wong Engineering

（吉隆坡6日讯）华阳（Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd）将在创业板上市，首次公开募股（IPO）发售价定为每股44仙，预计可筹集1亿8396万令吉。

华阳创业板上市 IPO发售价44仙筹1.84亿

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 6): Construction outfit Kerjaya Prospek Group Bhd (KL:KERJAYA) has bagged a RM256.4 million contract from Eastern &amp; Oriental Express Sdn Bhd (E&amp;OE) to undertake construction works in Elmina West, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Kerjaya Prospek wins first job in 2025 — RM256m contract in Shah Alam for E&O’s unit

Despite being 1Malaysia Development Bhd's (1MDB)&nbsp;then chairman of the board of advisors (BOA), its sole shareholder&nbsp;and the then prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that he never hired or fired anyone at the company.

1MDB-Tanore: Najib says merely 'formalised' board appointments, management had autonomy

Offshore oil and gas services provider T7 Global Bhd (KL:T7GLOBAL) announced on Monday it has bagged a contract to undertake maintenance, construction and modification (MCM) services for an undisclosed value.

T7 Global secures maintenance, construction and modification services contract  

The Prisons Department never received any directive from the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya Pardons Board to allow Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Prisons Department never received any order on Najib's house arrest — Saifuddin Nasution

US President-elect Donald Trump denied a Washington Post report that his aides are considering narrowing his tariff plan so that it would only apply to limited specific critical imports.

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