KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 28): Malaysia recorded an agricommodity export value of RM117 billion up to Sept 30 this year, said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah: Malaysia records agricommodity exports of RM117 bil up to September 2023

BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, has revised its 2024 average annual forecast for palm oil prices to RM3,515 per tonne, reflecting a 7.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) decline from this year's forecast.

Fitch unit revises average palm oil price forecast to RM3,515 per tonne for 2024

Malaysia has maintained its December export tax for crude palm oil at 8% and raised its reference price, a circular on the Malaysian Palm Oil Board website showed on Thursday.

Malaysia keeps December crude palm oil export duty at 8.0% 

HANOI (Nov 21): Copper prices rose to their highest in two months on Tuesday due to supply concerns in Peru and Panama, while a weaker US dollar also lent support.

Copper hits two-month high on supply concerns, soft dollar

Fitch Ratings expects average crude palm oil (CPO) prices to be significantly lower in 2024, based on expectations of a higher output of palm and other vegetable oils, due mainly to favourable weather conditions amidst a transition in global weather patterns.

Fitch sees significantly lower crude palm oil prices in 2024

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will hold a discussion with other relevant ministries regarding the proposal to create a single grade for white rice, said Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

Mohamad Sabu to discuss proposal for single-grade white rice with other ministries

Indonesia plans to introduce nickel tracing, and push local producers to reach global mining standards, to help the country move closer to securing a critical minerals deal with the US.

Indonesia to trace nickel in bid for US critical minerals deal

IPOH (Nov 12): The government will study the proposal to raise the ceiling price of local white rice, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

Govt to study proposal to raise local white rice ceiling price — Mohamad Sabu

The multifold increase in the price of raw sugar since 2020 has caused the actual price of sugar to far exceed the ceiling price set by the government at RM2.85 per kilogramme.

Felda chairman says settlers will have to bear losses if sugar price remains low

MUMBAI (Nov 9): India's soymeal exports are likely to rise in coming months, as concerns over soybean output in top producer Brazil lifts global prices to two-month highs, prompting buyers to turn to the south Asian country, industry officials said.

India's soymeal exports seen picking up as global prices rally

TORONTO (Nov 8): A handful of Canadian, German and Australian critical mineral explorers plan to command premium prices for key metals used in electric vehicles, promising quality and consistency in exchange for shifting reliance away from China, the dominant producer and price-setter.

Western miners seek premium pricing for rare earth metals to break China grip

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 8): In September, amid a shortage of white rice in Malaysia, rice mill operator and wholesaler Allen Lim started receiving calls from supermarkets asking for additional supplies. But he had to turn them down.

Malaysia's price controls keep rice production low, exacerbating shortages

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 8): The unit price index for selected materials such as cement, sand and aggregates for most areas of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, on a month-on-month comparison, recorded an increase in October 2023, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Unit price index for cement, sand, aggregates rises in October 2023 — DOSM

MUMBAI (Nov 8): India's National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) will launch sunflower oil futures contracts on Nov 12, to provide importers with a hedging tool amid volatile prices, a senior exchange official told Reuters on Tuesday (Nov 7).

India's NCDEX to launch sunflower oil futures amid volatile prices

The survival of natural rubber as a smallholder crop is in doubt due to the depressed rubber prices seen over the last couple of years. Rubber smallholders, due to poor incomes from the sale of rubber, are finding it very difficult to survive economically. They have no control whatsoever over rub...

My Say: Cultivating rubber smallholders for the good of the planet

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): Leform Bhd’s investors might have finally sighed a relief over the past two months, as the steel product manufacturer they invested in made a steep climb after staying range-bound for the most part last 12 months since the company’s initial public offering (IPO) nearly a year ago.

Leform’s 33% rise in share price month-to-date raises eyebrows

Oil moved in a narrow range on Wednesday as investors turned cautious ahead of a crucial Opec+ meeting to decide output policy in the next months, while a supply disruption in the Black Sea provided a floor for prices.

Oil little changed as Opec+ decision awaits, Black Sea storm disrupts supply

Malaysia's banking sector will revert to a pre-pandemic state of modest growth and profitability in 2024, said Fitch Ratings.

Malaysian banking sector to see modest growth, profitability in 2024, says Fitch Ratings

Public Bank Bhd's net profit for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2023 rose 7% to RM1.70 billion from RM1.59 billion a year earlier, on the back of healthy loans and customer deposits growth.

Public Bank's 3Q net profit rises 7% to RM1.7 bil

Bursa Malaysia was marginally lower at midday on Wednesday, weighed down by continuous selling across the board on a lack of fresh catalysts.

KLCI little changed at midday

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): ISP Group of Companies (ISP), a real estate developer and investment holding company, commenced construction of its purpose-built workers accommodation (PBWA) in Kapar, Selangor on Monday (Nov 27), according to a press statement on the same day.

ISP Group of Companies commences construction of its 3,780-bed purpose-built workers accommodation in Kapar

Media Prima Bhd posted a net profit RM14.06 million on the back of revenue of RM213.92 million for the first quarter ended Sept 30, 2023.

In August 2022, Media Prima’s financial year end was changed from Dec 31 to June 30.

Media Prima posts RM14 mil net profit in 1Q

China’s 5Y Capital is on track to surpass its target of raising US$700 million (RM3.25 billion) for a closely watched venture fund, in a sign that investors are regaining confidence in the world’s biggest internet arena.

Early Xiaomi backer to surpass funding goal in major China test

BENGALURU (Nov 29): Most emerging Asian currencies hit multi-month highs on Wednesday, with the Taiwan dollar and Malaysian ringgit leading the pack, as the US dollar slid to a more than three-month low on increasingly dovish commentary from the Federal Reserve, while investors also awaited a Thai central bank decision on rates.

Most Asian FX boosted by increasingly dovish comments; Thai decision eyed

Charlie Munger, who quit a law career to become Warren Buffett's trusted confidant and longtime second-in-command at Berkshire Hathaway, died on Tuesday morning. He was 99.

Charlie Munger, who was Warren Buffett's right-hand man, dies at 99

In 2022, the number of graduates in Malaysia rose 5.1% to 5.92 million, while the graduate’s unemployment rate declined 3.7%, according to data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia in its Graduate Statistics 2022 report.

Rise in number of graduates, drop in number of those unemployed

Analysts remain positive on KPJ Healthcare Bhd’s growth trajectory, and said they favour the medical group’s strategy to further grow its medical tourism business.

Analysts stay positive on KPJ’s growth trajectory

MSCI's&nbsp;global&nbsp;stock index advanced on Tuesday, while the dollar fell as a Federal Reserve (Fed) official signalled that the US&nbsp;central bank is done raising rates, and could even consider rate cuts if inflation keeps easing.

Stocks rise as dollar falls, gold rallies on Fed commentary

Analysts have upgraded their ratings on Farm Fresh Bhd (FFB), as they expect the dairy producer’s sequential earnings to improve further.

Analysts upgrade Farm Fresh ratings on expected improvement in sequential earnings

Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo Inc&nbsp;has joined a consortium led by Mitsui &amp; Co&nbsp;in the bidding for a majority stake in the tower unit of Malaysia’s biggest wireless firm Axiata Group Bhd, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Japan’s NTT Docomo joins Mitsui-led group in Edotco bidding, sources say

The ringgit continued its upward momentum to open higher against the US dollar on Wednesday, as US Treasury yields and dollar indices dropped to their lowest in months, said an analyst.

Ringgit continues uptrend against US dollar

DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, the party's national chairman Lim Guan Eng, and Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok have filed separate defamation suits against Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad in the Georgetown High Court.

Three DAP leaders file defamation suits against Kepala Batas MP

The search and rescue (SAR) operation continued on Wednesday morning for four victims feared to be still buried in the rubble of a logistic warehouse under construction that collapsed&nbsp;in Batu Maung, Bayan Lepas here&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;night.

Search and rescue operation continues after Bayan Lepas warehouse collapse

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): Prolonged weakness in the ringgit and a surge in petrol and diesel prices may risk Malaysia’s producer price index (PPI) and consumer price index (CPI) in 2024, despite analysts foreseeing low inflationary pressure to persist at least until the first half of 2024 (1HCY2024), said MIDF Research in a note on Wednesday.

MIDF Research: Prolonged weakness in ringgit and surge in petrol and diesel prices may risk Malaysia’s PPI and CPI in 2024

Apple is pulling the plug on its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs Group, The Wall Street Journal&nbsp;(WSJ) reported on Tuesday.

Apple to end credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs — WSJ

Analysts maintained their recommendations on Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd, despite the integrated aluminium producer’s earnings for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2023 (3QFY2023) missing market consensus forecasts, with expectations that aluminium prices will remain subdued.

Press Metal's 3Q results miss market expectations; aluminium prices to remain subdued

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): Kepong Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Lip Eng has been granted a stay of execution over the RM2 million judgement in a defamation suit brought against him by MonSpace (M) Sdn Bhd and its founder Datuk Seri Jessy Lai.

Kepong MP gets stay on RM2 mil libel award in MonSpace defamation suit until disposal of appeal

Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research has downgraded Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd (BIMB) to “hold” at RM2.24, with an unchanged target price (TP) of RM2.35, and said BIMB’s profit for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2023 (3QFY2023) decreased 2% year-on-year due to a negative Jaws ratio (from higher operating expenditure), along with larger financing loss provision.

HLIB downgrades Bank Islam to 'hold', keeps target price at RM2.35

The Sessions Court here has denied former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s bid to have his passport returned to him permanently and unconditionally.&nbsp;

Muhyiddin fails to get permanent release of passport but secures temporary release

Bursa Malaysia opened on a positive note&nbsp;on Wednesday,&nbsp;taking its cues from the US equity markets overnight, a dealer said.

Bursa opens higher in early trade

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): Analysts are upbeat on Wasco Bhd’s outlook after the pipe-coating solutions provider’s results for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2023 (3QFY2023) came in within expectations.

Analysts upbeat on Wasco’s outlook after 3Q earnings meet expectations

Options in GameStop Corp&nbsp;are seeing wild volumes, as traders bet that the stock will rally 50% in little over a week.

Traders bet GameStop will jump 50% within two weeks

The dollar fell broadly on Wednesday to hit its lowest against the yen in more than two months and languished near a three-month trough against its major peers, as expectations mount the Federal Reserve (Fed) could begin lowering rates by early next year.

Dollar slumps as Fed cuts eyed; Aussie buoyant ahead of inflation data

US&nbsp;stocks were little changed on Tuesday as investors digested conflicting remarks from Federal Reserve (Fed) officials, with upbeat consumer data providing some lift.

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