KUALA LUMPUR (May 25): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Monday:

Axiata Group Bhd (KL:AXIATA) reported a 71% surge in net profit for the first quarter from a year earlier as lower costs offset a decline in revenue. Net profit at Malaysia’s biggest telecom company by revenue was RM273.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 (1QFY2026), a bourse filing showed. No dividend was declared for the quarter. — Axiata’s net profit surges 71% in 1Q as lower costs offset revenue decline

MISC Bhd (KL:MISC) said its first-quarter net profit was up 5% from a year earlier, driven by gains from the disposal of ships and higher profits from associates and joint ventures. Net profit at the national oil-and-gas shipping company for the three months ended March 31, 2026 (1QFY2026) was RM741.4 million, an increase of RM35.7 million when compared to the same period a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter rose 2.7% year-on-year to RM2.89 billion. The company declared an interim dividend of eight sen per share, payable on June 25. — MISC 1Q net profit up 5% on gain from ship disposal

Gamuda Bhd’s (KL:GAMUDA) proposed Weasel Solar Farm and Cellars Hill Wind Farm projects in Tasmania have been selected under Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme, which reduces investment risk by providing a government-backed revenue safety net for up to 15 years. Both projects are being developed by Gamuda Renewable Pty Ltd in partnership with renewable energy developer Alternate Path and local landowners, the Downie family. — Gamuda’s Tasmania solar and wind projects win Australian govt support with a 15-year revenue safety net

Sime Darby Bhd (KL:SIME) more than tripled its earnings in the recently ended quarter from a year earlier thanks mainly to a one-off gain from a land sale while revenue shrank. Net profit for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was RM654 million. The industrial-and-automotive company booked a gain of RM434 million from selling Malaysia Vision Valley land in Negeri Sembilan. That compares to RM193 million in the same quarter a year earlier. No interim dividend was declared. — Sime Darby's earnings more than triple in 3Q on one-off land sale

IJM Land Bhd, a unit of IJM Corp Bhd (KL:IJM), has signed a joint venture to develop a 307.17-acre industrial and commercial project in Sedenak, Johor, within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, with an estimated gross development value of RM1.96 billion. IJM said the land will be jointly developed over a six- to eight-year period with the master developer of the Southern Catalyst Innovation District in Sedenak, Southern Catalyst Sdn Bhd (Socat), a Ministry of Finance Inc-linked company. The Southern Catalyst Innovation district covers 2,940 acres. — IJM Land partners MOF Inc unit to develop RM1.96 bil industrial park in JS-SEZ

British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd (KL:BAT) posted a net loss of RM35.15 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared with a net profit of RM23.27 million a year earlier, as revenue halved to RM160.3 million from RM322 million. BAT Malaysia declared a first interim dividend of five sen per share, down from 7.5 sen declared a year ago.  — BAT Malaysia sees first-ever quarterly loss, hit by retail display ban costs, illicit trade

Censof Holdings Bhd (KL:CENSOF) announced it has secured two contracts from the Inland Revenue Board worth a combined RM19.9 million, involving the development and enhancement of tax-related systems. The technology and software developer said its subsidiary Century Software (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd received two letters of acceptance from the IRB for system development, enhancement and maintenance works. — Censof bags RM19.9 mil IRB contracts for tax, financial system upgrades

Karex Bhd (KL:KAREX) slipped into the red in the recently-ended quarter, as the world’s largest condom maker was hurt by US reciprocal tariffs and declining export receipts. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2026 (3QFY2026) was RM6.37 million compared with RM5.09 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue, meanwhile, fell 22% year-on-year to RM105.58 million on lower bulk sales of personal lubricants and condoms. No interim dividend was declared. — Karex slips into the red in 3Q on tariff, forex hit

Oppstar Bhd (KL:OPPSTAR) has refined the delivery structure of an artificial intelligence (AI) chip development project awarded by a Yokohama-based client in March, with its wholly-owned subsidiary Oppstar Microelectronics Sdn Bhd entering into a separate US$2.9 million (RM13.6 million) design services agreement for its portion of work. The contract carries a total design service fee of US$2.9 million, payable progressively based on milestone completion, and is expected to be fulfilled within 20 months. — Oppstar refines structure of Japan AI chip project, secures new US$2.9m contract

MBM Resources Bhd (KL:MBMR) struck a cautious tone on its outlook after its first-quarter net profit fell 11%, weighed by weaker performance across all of its operating divisions amid softer automotive industry activity. Net profit for the three months ended March 31, 2026 came in at RM63.53 million, down from RM71.39 million a year ago, as revenue slipped 5.3% to RM543.72 million from RM574.32 million. No dividend was declared. — MBM Resources cautious on outlook as 1Q profit falls 11% amid softer auto demand

ITMAX System Bhd (KL:ITMAX) posted a 24.2% increase in net profit for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, supported by stronger contributions from its digital infrastructure solutions business and improving margins amid ongoing smart city infrastructure rollouts. Quarterly net profit rose to RM25.01 million from RM20.15 million a year earlier, while revenue climbed 29.8% to RM65.86 million from RM50.73 million. No dividend was declared for the quarter. — ITMAX’s 1Q profit jumps 24% on more smart city infrastructure rollouts

Allianz Malaysia Bhd’s (KL:ALLIANZ) net profit rose 6.72% in the first quarter, driven by improved performance across both its general and life insurance segments. Net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 increased to RM227.35 million from RM213.04 million a year earlier. Revenue grew 6.71% to RM1.63 billion from RM1.53 billion a year ago. The group declared an interim dividend of 35.5 sen per share, and 42.6 sen per share for irredeemable convertible preference shares, both payable on June 10. — Allianz’s 1Q net profit up 7% on higher general and life insurance sales

Lianson Fleet Group Bhd's (KL:LFG) first-quarter net profit surged 87.7% to RM21.33 million from RM11.37 million a year earlier, driven by higher fleet utilisation and contributions from its expanding vessel portfolio. Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2026 rose 20.9% to RM69.22 million from RM57.25 million. LFG declared a first interim dividend of one sen per share. — Lianson Fleet posts 88% rise in 1Q profit, declares one sen dividend

Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (KL:CMSB) reported a 5% year-on-year decline in first quarter net profit, mainly due to the inclusion of a one-off tax credit of RM7.3 million previously. Net profit for the three months ended March 31, 2026 fell to RM24.1 million from RM25.3 million in the same period last year. Revenue, however, rose more than 13% to RM278.5 million from RM246.1 million, driven by stronger infrastructure activity in Sarawak. The group did not declare any dividend for the quarter. — Cahya Mata Sarawak 1Q profit down 5% as tax credit absence offsets revenue growth

Outsourced semiconductor assembly and test services company Inari Amertron Bhd’s (KL:INARI) third quarter net profit almost halved as the group saw weaker loading volumes in its radio frequency (RF) segment and realised foreign exchange losses. In the third quarter ended March 31, 2026, net profit fell nearly 50% to RM27.98 million from RM55.48 million a year earlier while revenue declined by 13.8% to RM265.73 million from RM308.25 million in the corresponding quarter. Despite the weaker earnings, the group declared a third interim dividend of one sen per share, payable on July 10. — Inari Amertron 3Q net profit nearly halves on lower volumes; declares one sen dividend

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (KL:TENAGA) posted a 3.7% increase in net profit for the first quarter, driven by higher electricity demand and lower fuel costs. Net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 rose to RM1.09 billion from RM1.06 billion a year earlier, while revenue climbed 6.6% or RM1.07 billion to RM17.10 billion, supported mainly by stronger electricity sales. No dividend was declared. — Tenaga's 1Q profit rises marginally despite strong power demand

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd (KL:BIMB) posted an 8.9% decline in net profit for the first quarter, weighed by higher operating overheads, increased finance costs and weaker non-fund-based income. Net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 fell to RM115.03 million from RM126.27 million a year earlier, translating into earnings per share of 5.08 sen. The annualised return on equity stood at 6.0%. No dividend was declared for the quarter. — Bank Islam 1Q net profit slips 8.9% on higher overheads, weaker non-fund income

Kelington Group Bhd (KL:KGB) posted a 14.04% increase in first-quarter net profit to RM30.39 million from RM26.65 million a year earlier, driven by higher profit margins. The gross profit margin in the quarter ended March 31, 2026 expanded to 30%, aided by a 6.55% decline in production costs which offset higher administrative expenses as well as foreign exchange losses. Quarterly revenue rose marginally to RM270.43 million from RM270.28 million a year ago. The growth was tempered by a seasonal slowdown and shorter working periods due to festive seasons during the quarter. The group declared a first interim dividend of three sen per share, to be paid on July 10. — Kelington 1Q net profit up 14% on better profit margins