EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

Here’s a quick look at some of the stories that made headlines today.

What is the common denominator between Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, IJM Corp Bhd boss Datuk Lee Chun Fai and Pestech International Bhd group CEO Paul Lim Pay Chuan? They have signed up for a ride to fix the 25-year-old aerotrain service at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which i...

2024 Newsmakers: The country’s longest train journey

Juggling political ‘hot potatoes’ left some burn marks

2024 Newsmakers: Taking on unpopular issues

South Korea's Constitutional Court adjourned the opening session of the impeachment trial of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol within minutes on Tuesday after the embattled leader did not attend court.

Impeachment trial of South Korea's Yoon adjourned after he does not attend

PUTRAJAYA (Jan 14): Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told the court on Tuesday that none of the purported 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds spent on corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects benefitted him, or boosted his personal image.

1MDB-Tanore: CSR projects not to boost personal image, nor for personal benefit, says Najib

In early 2024, the unity government was still just slightly over a year old, with a reshuffled cabinet to boot, but the show had to go on.

2024 Newsmakers: Running the show

The year 2024 marks the second year of the unity government, formed after the 15th general election (GE15) was held in late 2022, where no single coalition won enough seats to form a government. It must have taken some deft negotiating skills on the part of the leader of the unity gover...

2024 Newsmakers: Maintaining the balance of power

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted two stocks with negative momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Tuesday.

Stocks with momentum on Jan 14, 2025: MPHB, Velocity Capital

Mah Sing Group Bhd (KL:MAHSING) said it is confident that its data centre projects will pass through the proposed US restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

Mah Sing confident data centre projects will pass through potential US chip export restrictions

The distribution of the 'Sumbangan Asas Rahmah' (Sara) aid starting from Wednesday will see improvements in the targeted aid, resulting from an increase in allocations under Budget 2025 for the Sara and 'Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah' (STR) assistance to their highest historical level of RM13 billion, compared with RM10 billion in 2024.

Record-high RM13b Sumbangan Asas Rahmah, Tunai Rahmah aid distribution begins on Wednesday

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): ViTrox Corp Bhd (KL:VITROX) will need to spend more on research and development (R&D) to counter intense pricing competition from China in the machine vision system (MVS) segment, said CGS International.

China competition may force ViTrox to increase R&D spending, says CGS

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Shares of Yinson Holdings Bhd (KL:YINSON) were suspended from trading on Tuesday, pending an announcement from the oil and gas services firm.

Yinson shares suspended from trading pending announcement

Gamuda Bhd (KL:GAMUDA) is in the running to secure the remaining two packages of the Penang Light Rail Transit project, analysts said, after its consortium secured the main contract as expected.

Gamuda in the running for second, third Penang LRT work packages, say analysts

(Jan 14):&nbsp;Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok, if the company fails to fend off a controversial ban on the short-video app, according to people familiar with the matter.

China discusses sale of TikTok US to Musk as one possible option — Bloomberg

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Nomura Global Markets Research expects Malaysia will tighten its monetary policy this year, due to rising inflation driven by the rationalisation of fuel subsidies.

Nomura predicts rate hike for Malaysia as strong growth leads to pickup in inflation

(Jan 14):&nbsp;Asian stocks look set for a bumpy ride after renewed dip buying on Wall Street fueled a rebound in some shares, reversing a selloff triggered by a recalibration of Federal Reserve wagers.

Asian shares look shaky as fed rate-cut hopes dim

Mah Sing Group Bhd (KL:MAHSING) said it is confident that its data centre projects will pass through the proposed US restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

COMING off a lacklustre 2023 in which the equity market struggled to get back on its feet amid harsh economic circumstances, Bursa Malaysia roared back to life in the first eight months of the year, mainly on the back of foreign investor buying, before easing in the last four months to trail Sing...

Market Recap: Bursa Malaysia’s biggest winners and losers in 2024

(Jan 14): A renewed wave of dip buying fuelled a rebound in stocks, following a selloff triggered by a recalibration of Federal Reserve wagers.

US stocks stage rebound as dip buyers wade back in 

The High Court has dismissed former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas' attempt to remove judge Roz Mawar Rozain from presiding over the malicious prosecution suit filed against him (Thomas), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, and the government by former Federal Land Development Authority chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad.

Tommy Thomas fails to recuse judge in Shahrir's malicious prosecution suit

(Jan 14):&nbsp;Oil held near a five-month high, on threats to global supplies posed by harsher US sanctions against Russian flows and potential trade tariffs from the incoming Trump administration.

Oil holds near five-month high on rising risks to crude supplies

(Jan&nbsp;13): A flagship coalition aimed at aligning the asset management industry with global climate goals said it was suspending its activities on Monday, days after BlackRock, the world's biggest investor, left amid a political backlash in the United States.

Investor climate group suspends activities after BlackRock exit

THE 19th edition of The Edge Best Call Awards received an overwhelming number of submissions, with 135 nominations coming in for 96 stocks covered by analysts with 17 research outfits.

This is 93% of the total submissions we received for 2022 and 2023 put together. We received 73 nomina...

The Edge Best Call Awards 2024 

THE year 2024 was a turning point for the Malaysian equity market. After three consecutive years of negative returns, the benchmark FBM KLCI finally delivered its first annual gain in 2024, emerging as one of the best-performing markets in the region.

The 30-stock index closed at 1,591....

FBM KLCI to post first annual gain in three years amid rise of data centres, FDIs

THE Kuala Lumpur Construction Index (KLCON) had shot up 59% to 305.27 points as at Dec 20. This was the index’s biggest annual increase in its 31-year history.

KLCON’s valuation had risen from a 10-year average of 13 times to 17.8 times. The keen interest in construction stocks, driven ...

Sector Of The Year: Positive momentum in construction sector expected to continue in 2025 

DATA centres (DCs) have been sprouting in Malaysia, particularly in Selangor, over the years or decades even, but DCs as an investment play is quite a new development on the Malaysian stock market.

Interestingly, at the start of 2024, a sudden rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) in ...

Thematic Play: Data centre a new theme that gathers steam

Consumer spending in Malaysia appears resilient and may be sustained in the near term with policy measures, economists said, shrugging off the latest data showing slower retail and wholesale trade.

Consumer spending sustained in near term but downside risks are rising, say economists

MALAYSIA’s number of initial public offerings (IPOs) reached its highest level in 2024 since 2005, leading regionally in terms of the number of deals. In 2005, Malaysia’s IPO count stood at 79.

This resurgence was largely driven by the listings of 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd (KL:9...

IPOs - Malaysia’s IPO market reaches new high in nearly two decades, leads Southeast Asia

A pair of Chinese-made social apps, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8, have taken over the top two positions on Apple Inc’s iPhone download charts in the US as users seek out alternatives to TikTok ahead of an imminent ban.

Risk of TikTok ban has users rushing to download two other Chinese-made apps

WASHINGTON (Jan 13): Traffic in Manhattan's central business district fell by 7.5% last week and 273,000 fewer cars entered the borough's central business district after the first congestion pricing fee in the US took effect on Jan&nbsp;5, New York City transit officials said on Monday.

Traffic falls in New York City after US$9 congestion fee introduced

WASHINGTON (Jan 13): Two Democratic lawmakers on Monday urged Congress and President Joe Biden to extend a Jan&nbsp;19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the US assets of TikTok, or face a US ban.

The&nbsp;Supreme Court held arguments&nbsp;Friday on Tiktok and ByteDance's challe...

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