Business & Markets 2013
Written by Surin Murugiah of theedgemalaysia.com
Saturday, 16 March 2013 12:36
KUALA LUMPUR (March 16): The FBM KLCI is likely to continue to remain volatile with more downside next week, as investors are likely to remain in profit taking mode ahead of the impending thirteenth general election (GE13).
The lack of external impetus is also likely to leave the local stock market without fresh leads to strengthen and climb upward.
U.S. stocks edged lower on Friday, weighed by a decline in JPMorgan Chase shares after the bank was hit by a one-two punch of bad news and as investors paused just below the S&P 500's record high, according to Reuters.
US consumer sentiment also dropped unexpectedly in March, weighing on investor sentiment.
In Malaysia, the still yet-to be announced GE13 date has continued to keep investor sentiment on tenterhooks.
Affin Investment Bank Bhd vice president and head of retail research Dr Nazri Khan said he expects the local blue chips to continue downside (target 1,620 level), dampened by wait-and-see investors attitude, local profit-taking and traders caution ahead of GE13.
“Moderate bargain hunting interest however is expected to surface (especially among PROPERTIES [] and PLANTATION []) and cool down the distribution.
“Hence, we expect the local sentiment to be cautiously volatile (with alternating up and down FBM KLCI swings) ahead of the impending parliament dissolution, he said.
Among the stocks that could be in focus next week are RHB CAPITAL BHD [], MALAYSIA BUILDING SOCIETY BHD [], SapuraKENCANA PETROLEUM BHD [], LUSTER INDUSTRIES BHD [], DAYANG ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS BHD [], Perdana Petroleum Bhd
The Edge weekly in its latest edition reported that in an effort to create better value and improve tax efficiency, there was a proposal to restructure RHB Capital Bhd in an exercise that would lead to its privatisation.
The extensive proposal suggests that RHB Bank will be re-listed later and the banking group be enlarged with the subsequent injection of Malaysia Building Society Bhd at a later stage.
SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd has secured a second three-month extension worth US$9.3 million (RM29 million) for the usage of its tender rig by CarigaliI PTTEPI Operating Co Sdn Bhd and Carigali-Hess Operating Co Sdn Bhd.
Luster Industries Bhd will be lifted from the Practice Note 17 (PN17) category beginning this Monday (March 18). The precision plastic component manufacturer has been listed as a PN17 entity since May 2008.
The Edge also reported that cash-rich Dayang Enterprise, which has raised its equity interest in Perdana Petroleum to 26.1%, was unlikely to stop mopping up shares in the offshore support vessel operator.
Citing an executive familiar with the matter, the Edge said the company’s board had given it the mandate to buy up to a 32% stake in Perdana Petroleum.
Dr Nazri said based on these resilient fundamentals, Affin IN was pegging 1,720 as its official target (post-GE) for FBMKLCI by year end of 2013 which again means now an opportune time to accumulate stocks. The local market weakness however should get cushion from the regional strength.
‘Last but not least, the recent news that Bursa Malaysia tops International Monetary Fund and World Bank capital market assessment (bettering the US, the UK, Australia and Japan) as another significant catalyst to make Bursa visible in the eyes of investors,” he said.