Bursa Malaysia Stock Market May Come Under Pressure

Riding on the strength of an overwhelmingly bullish Wall Street the previous Friday, Asian markets shrugged off geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula and steadied on renewed buying momentum at the start of the week.

South Korea led way in the region, with the Kospi Index spiking a hefty 1.4% while the Japanese market was shut for a public holiday.
In an unprecedented move, Bursa Malaysia had a muted response, with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index (FBM KLCI) dropping 3.4 points to 1,782.93.

Though the market made several attemps to climb higher during the day, it was not successful, as profit-taking selling in the quality issues was a drag.

At the final bell, the key index eased 2.67 points to 1,783.66 on Monday. The next day on Wall Street, the Dow had a record finish for the fifth consecutive session while the S&P set an all-time high for the second day in a row, led by banking shares.

But oil prices were barely changed amid worries about a built up in crude stockpiles.

In the region, with the exception of Japanese equities, which rallied nearly 2% on resumption of business after the long weekend, most markets slipped as investors moved to the sidelines ahead of a two-day US Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

On the domestic front, the local bourse mirrored the Asian peers and slide deeper into the negative zones on lack of support from investors.

Meanwhile, a weaker ringgit against the greenback weighed on the local sentiment.

As usual, blue chips topped the losers board on foreign selling. Elsewhere, most second and lower liners also struggled, with retail players heading to the sidelines.

In lacklustre trade, the FBM KLCI slide from an intra-day peak of 1,783.68 in early business to a low of 1,775.30 in late session before trimming losses slightly to close down seven points at 1,776.66 on Tuesday.

Thereafter, the bulls on Wall Street continued to set a series of records, boosted by a rally in financial stocks but in Asia, shares turned mixed to marginally lower in cautious mood as investors awaited signals from the US Federal Reserve policy meting on when it will hike rates again and start shrinking its balance sheet.

Pending a clearer picture to emerge, the local bourse stayed in correction mode due to limited support from the big boys while the retail investors remained on the sidelines.

In subdued session, the key index tested the downside of 1,770 points in late trade before bouncing off slightly to end 3.08 points lower at 1,773.58 on Wednesday.

As expected, the Fed left interest rates unchanged after a two-day meeting and although the Dow sustained rally into the uncharted territory and most regional markets firmed Bursa Malaysia extended the consolidation process, as jittery investors fret about the possibility of one more US interest rate hike by the end of the year and the withdrawal of about US$4.2 trillion in holdings of US Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities.

Petronas Gas and British American Tobacco topped declines, dragging the FBM KLCI down 2.54 points to 1,771.04 in another lacklustre session on Thursday.

Bursa Malaysia was shut for a public holiday yesterday.

Statistics: Week-on-week, the bellwether FBM KLCI skidded 15.29 points, or 0.9%, to 1,771.04 on Thursday, versus 1,786.33 on Sept 15. Turnover for the four-day holiday-curtailed week amounted to 10.402 billion units valued at RM8.329bil, compared with 13.126 billion shares worth RM10.766bil done during the previous regular week.

Outlook: Bursa Malaysia was in a correction mode the past week, with the FBM KLCI pulling further away from the recent three-month peak, as a futile attempt to penetrate the 1,800-point psychological barrier a week ago prompted investors to take some money off the table.

The more-hawkish-than-expected tone from Janet Yellen at the latest policy meeting and the plans to begin the unwinding of a decade of aggressive monetary stimulus added to the downbeat mood.

While a rate hike in the US is negative for risky assets, the Fed’s tightening plan may lead to capital outflows from the region and Malaysia may not be spared.

Combined with the latest move from US President Donald Trump ordering new sanctions on North Korea, tensions in the Korean Peninsula is likely to ratchet up and put more investors on the defensive mode.

In the absence of buying incentives on the horizon, the local bourse will probably extend the correction phase this week.

Based on the daily chart, the key index was only maintaining a slim three-point margin above the nine-month-old ascending trendline, resting approximately at 1,768 points. A breakdown from this trendline, if it happens, may see the FBM KLCI falling towards the 1,750-point floor on persistent liquidation.

Technically, indicators are looking very good too. While the weekly moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) histogram resumed the downward expansion against the weekly trigger line to retain the bearish signal, the daily MACD issued a sell call during intra-week trading, implying the local bourse is expected to be under pressure until a fresh bout of buying interest emerges.

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2017/09/23/bursa-may-come-under-pressure/#JvJs9oWy8Ejh8qB0.99

Is another financial crisis just around the corner?

IT has been 10 years since the start of the Global Financial Crisis.

Psychologically, this is another factor which puts some fear into investors. How can a market sustain its uptrend without a correction once every 10 years?

In end-2007, triggered by a collapse in the US housing market it caused the deepest recession in living memory and the near-collapse of the financial system.

Banks failed, government institutions were bailed out, stock markets crashed and countries had to be propped up financially.

One of the most significant effects of the crisis has been the long and steady fall in bond yields.

Japanese, German and UK bond yields remain below 1%, which reflect investors’ view on the outlook for interest rates in those regions. US bond yields have climbed above 2% as the Federal Reserve has begun to raise interest rates.

However, the knock-on effect of central bank attempts to stimulate economies has sent stock markets charging back. US stocks have risen more than 260% since the crisis’ low point in March 2009. UK, European and Asian stocks are all up more than 150% in the same period.

Also, the VIX index, also known as the “fear gauge” is now at historically low levels, As governments and central banks intervened to stem the flow of the crisis the VIX subsided.

Confidence among investors grew. Schroders says that this indicates that investors see nothing on the horizon that will cause extreme market volatility.

“Low interest rates and the effect of money being pumped into the economy has benefited businesses and therefore the stock markets on which they are listed,” says Schroders.

Schroders fund manager and multi-manager Joe Le Jéhan says the key to navigating the financial crisis was being alive to the warning signals that were evident across markets in the preceding months.

“If we avoid significant losses, we should be in a position to take advantage of cheaper valuations when the opportunity arises, rather than nursing our wounds. We strongly believe that it’s this willingness to actively manage risk that allows investors to compound strong returns over the longer term,” he said.

Jehan said that during the financial crisis, this meant holding very few economically sensitive equities, avoiding areas like financials and using assets like government bonds to provide some upside as most things fell in value.

“While such a concentration on capital protection is vital at the end of all cycles, this cycle has been quite different. So, what we can use to protect portfolios this time may well also differ,”

“Government bonds – historically a more obvious safe haven – may not offer the same opportunity this time around. This is why it is worth looking at the few assets that look relatively under-valued and/or have the potential to protect should markets enter another stormy patch.

He said that these assets might include cash to help dampen volatility and provide that option to invest at cheaper levels when the buying opportunity returns. The other asset to look at is gold, which also has the ability to make money should equity markets fall. 

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2017/09/16/is-another-financial-crisis-just-around-the-corner

Rules for investing

THINKING about the importance of “practice what you preach” and “put your money where your mouth is”, I wanted to share a few rules I follow, when I invest the little savings I have. 

These tips will not allow you to outperform the market, but will give you the best return at a low risk and at a low cost, in line with the market. 

Doesn’t sound too impressive? It is actually better than the returns the vast majority of “active traders” and fund managers are able to maket.

Time in market, not timing the market

It is impossible to time the market. The only sustainable, long-run strategy is to stay in the market for a long, uninterrupted time. This is why I only invest with money that I am fairly certain I don’t need for at least the next five years. 

However, investing your money over the time it takes to raise your children from babies to 18 year olds is a much better time horizon.

You can’t outsmart the market

Every transaction has a buyer and a seller, both think they are making a profitable decision.”

Be aware of cognitive dissonance, the confirmation bias, your optimism and your confidence in your own investment skills. For every person that outperforms the market, there must be someone who underperforms the market too. 

The number of “experts” who consistently outperform the market for an extended period of time is increasingly small. There is no way to know in advance which fund or fund manager is that ‘expert’, because they are lucky, not talented. 

This means I favour a boring, passive investment strategy, instead of an active one. Bonus: it costs much less of my time.

Small costs add up over time

I hate transaction costs and I don’t believe in paying a yearly management fee of up to 1% or 2% to a fund manager who claims he can outperform the market. I therefore buy ETF trackers, exchange-traded funds. 

An ETF simply copies an index, such as the Dow Jones or the S&P 500. ETF’s are very liquid because they are traded on stock-exchanges, similar to stocks. 

Because copying an index doesn’t require “rock star” fund managers – and ditto their exorbitant salaries – management fees for ETF’s that track indices are as low as 0.10%. 

Though both fees might seem like small figures, the power of compound interest combined with my investment horizon creates a huge impact at the end of the line.  

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Diversification of assets is a key ingredient for any robust portfolio. If some industry, geography or asset class is going down, another one is going up, which protects my portfolio from losing value. 

That’s why I don’t believe buying a (second) property as an investment is a wise investment for Malaysia’s middle class. 

It puts a large share of your assets in a single piece of real estate and makes it quite illiquid. Do make sure your eggs have as little correlation as possible with each other: you don’t want everything to move in the same direction.

In order to diversify, I invest (through ETF’s) in emerging markets and developed markets, Europe and Japan, gold, real estate and bonds.

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2016/09/03/rules-for-investing/#TwIQMzyPFtrywiuy.99

Gold Is At Sweet Spot For Continued Buying On Dips

Its short term target is to break up $1300. It mid term target is to go into $1400 zone. Its mid-long term target is to hit $1550 critical resistance before consolidation at $1450 region to build a support for a rally to break out $1900-$2000 upwards. Gold remains as a buy-on-dip with a target of all time historic new high of more than $1900-$2000.

Gold futures for June delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 0.16% to $1,260.11

Overnight, gold retreated from a one-month high, despite an increase in safe haven demand amid ongoing geopolitical concerns in Europe while hawkish comments concerning U.S. interest rates from a top Fed official capped upside momentum.

Gold prices dipped at the start of European trade on Tuesday, as concerns about geopolitical uncertainty in Europe eased somewhat, following the release of the ICM poll for The Guardian, showing the Conservative Party held a healthy lead of 45% compared to Labour's 33%, ahead of the general election scheduled for June 8.

Gold is sensitive to moves higher in both U.S. rates and the dollar – A stronger dollar makes gold more expensive for holders of foreign currency while a rise in U.S. rates, lift the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as bullion.

There's No Recession, but a Market Correction Could Cause One

  Before last Friday’s employment release, some pessimistic observers feared a recession was near. The latest GDP release from the BEA showed real output growth slowed to a crawl in the first quarter, rising at an annual rate of only 0.7 percent. And that followed the report on March employment that had shown an abrupt slowdown in job growth. Alongside this economic news, the previously soaring stock market levelled off.

     But the fear among pessimists of a looming recession, which was never convincing, was put to rest by last Friday’s employment report showing 211,000 net new jobs in April, and a very healthy average monthly job growth of 185,000 over the first four months of the year.

    As a simple summary of the economic expansion’s health, we should accept the above trend growth in employment over the nearly flat real GDP growth. And as a general rule, we should prefer job growth over real GDP growth as a measure of overall economic activity because he GDP estimates may not accurately correct for seasonal variations and may not properly capture the changing composition and pricing of what we produce and consume.

    Going behind the aggregate data, there have been few signs of an overall weakening in the economy. Though some sectors, such as autos, are softening, others, such as defense, construction and many services, are still growing steadily. And the global economy is now less of a drag on the U.S. than it has been. Until recently, weak growth abroad weighed on the U.S. expansion through the exchange rate and trade channels. In recent weeks, the dollar appreciation has stopped. And the present IMF forecasts for 2017 include continued better growth in Europe despite the uncertainties of Brexit and the immigration turmoil, and continued rapid expansion in the emerging market economies. Janet Yellen recently testified that the Fed believes the slowdown in GDP growth is temporary and that it expects to stay on its course of raising policy interest rates further during 2017.

     Even if the expansion is presently healthy, it has already lasted 8 years, which is old by historical standards. And even before the unemployment rate dropped to April’s 4.4 percent, many analysts believed the economy had reached full employment, which would limit the potential for further economic expansion. But estimates of how far a healthy expansion can go are highly uncertain. The economy’s growth potential is somewhat greater than many had thought. Through much of the present expansion, labor force participation rates declined faster than demographics alone would predict. In recent quarters, as job markets have tightened, the decline in participation has ceased.               Furthermore, there is mixed evidence from recent decades about how low unemployment can go without generating accelerating inflation. The Fed is alert to both sides of its mandate, and the fact that it is not raising rates further now but still expects to do so during 2017 indicates it sees and welcomes continued expansion in the economy.

       Do these economic prospects tell us anything useful about the stock market and do stock market prices inform our forecasts for the economy? The economy and the stock market affect each other in many ways. A strong expansion raises profits and opportunities for new investment. A rising stock market increases wealth and the optimism of both consumers and businesses. All these connections occur with variable lags. And, in general, market declines do not cause economic declines. But a big market drop could affect wealth and expectations enough to noticeably depress the economy. And some observers reason the surge in the importance of ETFs as a way of participating in the stock market could magnify downward shocks for many investors and, in turn, have more effect on the economy. While mutual funds attracted mainly long term investors, ETFs attract investors who are more likely to trade actively.

        The great bull market of the 1990s ended when what we now call the dot-com bubble finally popped. Today, the prices of social media stocks and others related to the Silicon Valley industries (FANG is shorthand for four dominant firms in this category, Facebook, Apple, Netflix and Google), have risen to levels that resemble the star stocks of that earlier boom. Because of their success in the stock market, these high flying stocks are heavily weighted in ETFs indexed to a broad stock average or to growth or high tech stocks. The fear is that, if a correction starts in these stocks, the rush of selling by ETF investors could greatly steepen the stock price decline.

        Would that be enough to push the economy into recession? It did in 2001 and the damage would likely be greater in today’s market.

Source: http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2017/05/09/theres_no_recession_but_a_market_correction_could_cause_one_102676.html

TECH TARGETS: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, AUD/USD, NZD/USD – UOB

EUR/USD: Neutral: Odds for a move above 1.0870/75 are not high.

The 1.0825/30 level that we have talked about since Thursday was finally met with an overnight high of 1.0825. Shorter-term upward momentum is slowing down and while a move above 1.0825/30 would not be surprising, the odds for a break above last December high of 1.0870/75 are not high. Support is at 1.0745 but only a move back below 1.0715 would indicate that a short-term top is in place.

GBP/USD: Bullish: To take half-profit at 1.2545/50.

GBP hit an overnight high of 1.2507 before closing on a strong note. The bullish phase that started on Monday  is still intact. However, from a shorter-term perspective, the rally appears to be running ‘too fast, too soon’ and those who are long should look to book half-profit at 1.2545/50, just below the 1.2570 high seen in late February. Stop-loss is unchanged at 1.2340.

AUD/USD: Neutral: In a 0.7600/0.7730 range.

There is not much to add as we continue to view the current movement as part of a 0.7600/0.7730 consolidation phase even though the immediate bias is for a probe lower towards the low end of the expected 0.7600/0.7730 range. Looking further ahead, as long as there is no sustained drop below 0.7600, we expect the current consolidation to be resolved to the upside.

NZD/USD: Neutral: In a 0.6950/0.7090 range.

As highlighted yesterday, NZD has likely made a short-term top at 0.7090 earlier this week. The current price action is viewed as part of a consolidation phase that could last for several days. Overall, expect sideway trading from here, likely between 0.6950 and 0.7090.

USD/JPY: Neutral: No signs of stabilization just yet.

While we expected USD to extend its decline towards 111.05/10, the pace of the drop and the ease of which this level is taken out came as a surprise (overnight low of 110.71). Despite being severely oversold, there is no sign of stabilization just yet and further weakness towards the psychology level of 110.00 is not ruled out. Overall, this pair is expected to stay under pressure unless it can move above stay above 112.50.

SEA market ready to rate hike ahead of Fed meeting

Southeast Asian stock markets ended little changed in dull trade on Tuesday as investors were cautious ahead of a widely expected  interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve next week amid concerns about President Donald Trump's economic policies. 

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has signalled that the central bank might raise interest rates at its next meeting on March 14-15, and may move faster after that than it has in years.

After Janet Yellen's speech last week, the market will be ready for a rate hike when the U.S. Federal Reserve meets next week unless this Friday's jobs report is a disaster.

Consumer prices rose 3.3 percent but was within the range the central bank had expected, the statistics agency said.

Singapore shares rose after two sessions of falls, buoyed by financials and industrials. Real estate company CapitaLand Ltd gained 2.3 percent, while automotive conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd climbed 0.6 percent.

SGX & KLCI TRADING CALLs for Today

SGX TRADING CALL 

#BUY CAPITACOM TRUST AT 1.560 TGT 1.600 SL 1.520 
#BUY GENTING SINGAPORE AT 0.980 TGT 1.015 SL 0.945 
KLCI TRADING CALL

#BUY BTM AT 0.315 TGT 0.355 SL 0.275 
#UPDATE: MUHIBAH MDE HIGH OF 2.560 OUR TARGET MADE HIGH OF 2.560 OUR TARGET ACHIEVED. KINDLY BOOK PROFIT IN IT 
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KLCI INTRADAY CALL on BTM RESOURCES BHD

BUY BTM AT 0.315 TARGET 0.355 SL 0.275

Date	Open	High	Low	Close	Volume	VWAP
21 Feb 2017	0.295	0.325	0.295	0.310	5,447,000	0.3129
20 Feb 2017	0.295	0.300	0.295	0.295	219,500	0.2980
17 Feb 2017	0.295	0.295	0.295	0.295	261,500	0.2950
16 Feb 2017	0.295	0.300	0.295	0.295	262,000	0.2960
15 Feb 2017	0.305	0.305	0.295	0.300	341,600	0.3008
14 Feb 2017	0.290	0.305	0.290	0.305	1,022,800	0.2982

Buy Call of GBP/USD Made a Profit of $400

BUY GBP/USD AT THE LEVEL OF 1.2950 WITH SL OF 1.2920 FOR THE TP OF 1.2990 (CMP 1.2938) 16-08-2016 13:57:38

 TP HIT IN GBP/USD LONG CALL.
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1MDB: Goldman Sachs faces suit over ties to Malaysian fund

Goldman Sachs has been sued by a shareholder of one of its former clients over alleged fraudulent misrepresentations that involve links to the prime minister of Malaysia.
Primus Pacific Partners, a private equity firm and the largest shareholder in Malaysian bank EON Capital, filed suit against Goldman for $510 million for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, according to a statement released Tuesday.
The suit claimed that Goldman Sachs concealed a conflict of interest involving Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak while the investment bank was acting as financial adviser to EON, which was weighing a takeover bid by Hong Leong Bank. Talks on the deal reportedly began in 2009, but the bid was held up until 2011 as Primus fought the offer in Malaysia's courts.
One of the prime minister's brothers, Nazim Razak, was a director at Hong Leong Bank, while another brother, Nazir Razak, was chairman of CIMB Group, which advised Hong Leong Bank on the bid.

At the same time as it was advising EON, Goldman was an adviser to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, also known as 1MDB, a development fund established by the prime minister, the lawsuit noted.
Primus claimed that Goldman first called the Hong Leong bid "unfair," only to reverse course weeks later. According to the suit, the final price of the merger was "hundreds of millions of dollars below fair value," but the reversal may have furthered Goldman's role as adviser to 1MDB. The original complaint can be read here.
In a statement in response to the suit, Goldman Sachs pointed out that Primus had already failed to block the deal.
"This plaintiff previously lost its challenge in the Malaysian courts seeking to stop a transaction involving a Malaysian company, which was then approved by shareholders," the investment bank said. "We will vigorously contest this misguided additional lawsuit in New York court."
After the court decision in 2011, Dow Jones reported that Primus faced a "significant loss on its investment" in EON if the takeover by Hong Leong Bank took place.

The office of Malaysia's prime minister and 1MDB did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
The suit comes as 1MDB faces international regulatory scrutiny over accusations that its funds were misappropriated. U.S. prosecutors sued last week to seize more than $1 billion in assets they said were tied to a scheme to launder money stolen from the fund.
Questions about movement of funds from 1MDB gained attention about a year ago, when The Wall Street Journal reported that in 2013 nearly $700 million had flowed from the fund to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's personal bank account.
Najib has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and, under pressure from the outcry caused by the WSJ report, said the funds were not from 1MDB but were a private donation from a Middle Eastern country he declined to name. He has denied benefiting personally from the funds.
In January, Malaysia's Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali said that Saudi Arabia's royal family gave Najib a $681 million gift, of which Apandi said about $600 million was later returned.
Apandi said that no criminal offense had been committed. But globally, investigations into 1MDB in locales as varied as U.S., Switzerland, Singapore and the Seychelles have continued.
This month U.S. prosecutors said they were seeking to seize more than $1 billion of assets tied to an international conspiracy to launder funds funneled away from 1MDB, marking the biggest action ever taken under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.
In a statement, the Department of Justice said officials at 1MDB, their relatives and other associates diverted more than $3.5 billion from the state fund and laundered it through complex transactions and shell companies with bank accounts in Singapore, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the U.S.
Some of the laundered funds allegedly flowed into production of the 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street," a film about a corrupt stockbroker, that was banned from playing in Malaysia for being too risqué.
The film's producer, Red Granite Pictures, was co-founded by Najib's stepson Riza Aziz. Riza was named as a "relevant individual" in the DOJ complaint, but Najib wasn't named in the U.S. prosecutor's complaint.
However, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of the investigation, that the complaint's 32 references to "Malaysian Official 1," who allegedly received hundreds of millions from 1MDB, were a reference to Najib.
At the time, the Najib's office said in a statement, "As the Prime Minister has always maintained, if any wrongdoing is proven, the law will be enforced without exception."
Red Granite last week said in a statement that it continued to "cooperate fully" with all investigations and that "when the facts come out, it will be clear that Riza Aziz and Red Granite did nothing wrong."
Separately this week, the New York Times reported that the Federal Reserve is preparing an enforcement action against Goldman Sachs related to confidential government information which was leaked by a Fed employee to a junior Goldman banker who was a former Fed employee.

The report noted that a Goldman spokesman said in a statement that the bank had already "reviewed our policies regarding hiring from governmental institutions and have implemented changes to make them appropriately robust."

—CNBC's Kate Kelly contributed to this report.
Link: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/26/1mdb-goldman-sachs-faces-lawsuit-over-ties-to-malaysian-fun.html 

KLCI Malaysia Market Review & Tomorrow Forecast

The FBM KLCI index lost 6.84 points or 0.41% on Tuesday. The Finance Index fell 0.18% to 14175.85 points, the Properties Index dropped 0.29% to 1161.52 points and the Plantation Index down 0.48% to 7563.36 points. The market fluctuated between a high of 1666 and low of 1660 throughout the trading session on Tuesday. The KLCI extended its mid-day losses by ending lower at 1661.42 points amid overnight losses in US market. The performance of our benchmark index was bogged down by selling in heavyweight counters such Genting, KLCC and SapuraKencana. Top 5 Stocks for Tomorrow

Market forecast for KLCI:

The FBMKLCI opened at the level of 1666 on Tuesday and closed in the red at level of 1661. The trading session on Tuesday saw a low of 1660;

The market traded within a range of 6.48 points between an intra-day high of 1666.99 and a low of 1660.51 during the session.

Market moved side ways as the two day U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting started on Tuesday along with Bank of Japan supposed to happen on coming Friday. Fed meeting had an impact on the market as traders would be cautious before entering the market and would wait for the results to be announced. Expecting less movement in the market it could breach the support level of 1657 and come down to the level of 1647.

  KLCI COUNTER SPECIFIC NEWS :

• Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd has inked an agreement with Perbadanan Wakaf Selangor subsidiary Urus Maju Ehsan (M) Sdn Bhd (UME) to provide RM15.5 million in financing for two waqf land development projects in Klang, Selangor.
• Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) saw its share price surge 5.06% yesterday after news of it aborting plans to acquire a stake in Indonesia's PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk.
• YTL Corp Bhd has proposed to take its information technology unit, YTL e-Solutions Bhd, private at 55 sen per share through a voluntary share exchange offer. This will enable YTL e-Solutions shareholders to exchange their stake in the company for shares in YTL Corp.
• Wah Seong Corp Bhd’s order book replenishment rate despite the US$18.23 million (RM73.87 million) pipe shipping and related services contract win.
   GLOBAL FACTORS AND WORLD INDICES:
• Hong Kong stocks rallied Tuesday thanks to a surge in casino shares, while investors await key central bank meetings in the United States and Japan. Hang Seng Index rose 0.62 per cent, or 136.29 points, to end at 22,129.73.
• Tokyo shares slumped for a third session Tuesday as a yen rally and worries about a global oil supply glut hit sentiment ahead of US and Japanese central bank meetings. Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.43 per cent, or 237.25 points, to close at 16,383.04
• Wall Street opened slightly lower on Monday as investors braced for another set of corporate earnings and awaited the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting.
• Gold inched up early Tuesday as the dollar slipped and equities eased ahead of central bank meetings in the United States and Japan this week.
• The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, edged down 0.1 percent, below the previous session's high of 97.569, its loftiest peak since March.
• Oil were down again on Monday as investor concerns about a supply glut showed no sign of letting up.
• Crude lost US$1.06 sinking to US$43.13, its lowest level in three months.
• Brent crude hit its lowest price since May, sinking 97 cents to US$44.72.

Weekly Wrap of KLCI And Forecast for Week Ahead

Overall week it was observed low volume in the market as we had only two and a half trading days. As we had two festive days in the week traders avoided to enter the market and hold positions. Week constituted one bullish and 2 bearish days. Market ended with a closing of 1644 and in the red.

Top 10 Stocks

Forecast for week ahead:

After one bullish closing we had two bearish closing days in the entire week, we observed a bullish candle on the last trading day. In the final session of the week market closed at the level of 1644. Volume has been on the lower side throughout the week because of the two festive days. In the coming market is expected to make a rounding bottom pattern and if it completes the pattern , it is expected to test the resistance level of 1663 and if it breaches this level it is expected to go up and test the second level of 1675. On the other side if it breached the support level of 1637 it is expected to go further down to the level of 1617.

Sup 1	Sup 2	Sup 3	Res 1	Res 2	Res 3
1637	1617	1600	1663	1675	1688

Technical indicators:

RSI for this week is 45.524 with CCI at -43.181 Besides, difference line of MACD -11.723.

Counter-Specific News:

• AmInvestment Bank Bhd bagged the “Project Finance House of the Year” and “Best Transport Deal” awards for the second consecutive year at The Asset Triple A Asia Infrastructure Awards 2016.
• Maybank IB Research said the potential sale of Hong Leong Assurance (HLA) and Hong Leong MSIG Takaful (HLMT) could raise about RM3.2 billion for Hong Leong Financial Group (HLFG), said.
• Mah Sing Group Bhd will be launching the final tower of Lakeville Residence here on July 16 and 17, which will bring the RM1.5 billion development to its targeted completion by 2020.
• Tropicana Corp Bhd’s disposal of land in Gelang Patah will reduce the group’s exposure in Johor and lock in a net gain of RM55.5 million, said Affin Hwang Capital.

Global factors and World Indices:

• Hong Kong stocks fell on Friday, tracking losses in Shanghai shares, on fears of further weakness in the yuan and worries that Britain's decision to leave the European Union could destabilise one of China's biggest export markets. Hang Seng Index fell 0.7 per cent to 20,564.17 points.
• Tokyo stocks closed in the red Friday, their fourth straight loss as an early rally fizzled. Nikkei 225 index slumped 1.11 per cent, or 169.26 points, to end at 15,106.98.
• Asian markets fell Friday morning, at the end to a volatile week dominated by the fallout from Britain's European Union exit, with investors now turning their attention to the release of US jobs data.
• The US dollar gained on the euro but slipped against the yen Thursday as investors waited to see if the coming US June jobs report shows a rebound from May's sharp downturn.
• Oil prices dived Thursday after US inventories fell less than expected last week, adding to market concerns about abundant global supplies.
• Crude tumbled US$2.29 to US$45.14 a barrel, its lowest price in nearly two months.
• Brent finished at US$46.40 a barrel, down a hefty US$2.40 from Wednesday's settlement.
• Gold headed for the longest run of weekly gains in two years, bolstered by the uncertainty surrounding the UK's vote to leave the European Union, with investors turning their attention to a monthly US jobs report.

Malaysia Market: Companies That May Be In Focus On Friday

Based on corporate announcements and news flow today, companies that may be in focus on Friday (July 8) could include: Bertam, Guocoland, TH Heavy, Melewar, Halex, Goldis and ML Global. 

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Bertam Alliance Bhd is selling two parcels of freehold land at Batu 9, Cheras, with a collective land size of 47,930 sq m (11.8 acres) to a unit of Guocoland (Malaysia) Bhd, for RM128 million.

Bertam announced to Bursa Malaysia today that it expects to recognise a RM79.84 million disposal gain arising from the land deal.

The sale was effected through Bertam's unit MV Properties Sdn Bhd, which inked a sale and purchase agreement with Tujuan Optima Sdn Bhd, Guocoland's subsidiary.

The land's audited net book value (NBV) was RM42.96 million as at Dec 31, 2015 (FY15). It was valued at RM125.11 million, as appraised by independent valuer DTZ Nawawi Tie Leung Property Consultants Sdn Bhd, on March 19, 2016.

The proceeds will be utilised for borrowings repayments and working capital. Upon that, the group should have zero gearing and enjoy an interest cost savings of about RM7.3 million a year based on the effective rate of 6% to 8.6% per annum.

The company has accumulated losses of RM38.51 million, while total borrowings stood at RM103.87 million as at Dec 31, 2015 (FY15).

Meanwhile, Guocoland intends to fund the deal fully by cash via internally generated funds and/or bank borrowings.

Guocoland does not need to seek approval from its shareholders for the land purchase. But Bertam need shareholders' approval for the sale.

TH Heavy Engineering Bhd (THHE) was slapped with two winding-up petitions from its creditors for a collective sum of US$8.88 million (RM35.6 million) in relation to the supply of equipment and work done at the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) Layang project.

In separate bourse filings today, THHE said the first petition was by MIB Orwell Offshore Ltd and was presented on June 30 to the Kuala Lumpur (KL) High Court. A copy of the petition was served to THHE on July 4.

It said the petitioner is claiming US$7.61 million for the supply of equipment and machinery for the FPSO Layang project, and the case management for the petition has been fixed on July 20.

The second petition is by MIB Italiana SPA and was presented to the KL High Court on July 1; a copy of it was also served to THHE on July 4.

THHE said the second petitioner is claiming US$1.27 million for the supply and installation of quick release hook and mooring hawser for the same project. Case management for this petition has been set on July 15.

THHE said it has sought necessary legal advice on both matters with a view of defeating the petitions altogether, adding that the petitions would not have any additional financial and operational impact on the group.

Melewar Industrial Group Bhd has decided to drop its appeal against MyCC's finding that Megasteel Sdn Bhd did not abuse its dominant position or practise anti-competition margin squeeze in the cold rolled coil market.

Megasteel's lawyers have been informed today that Melewar had, on June 21, withdrawn the appeal with no objection from MyCC, which stands for the Malaysian Competition Commission, according to a bourse filing by Melewar's parent company, Lion Corp Bhd.

Lion Corp, which owns 79.89% of Megasteel, said following Melewar's withdrawal, the case against Megasteel is now 'closed' and that MyCC's finding of non-infringement of the Competition Act 2010 by Megasteel is 'final'.

Halex Holdings Bhd's executive director and chief executing officer (CEO) Chan Yee Keen has decided not to renew his employment contract upon expiry of the contract on Sept 30.

According to its filing with Bursa Malaysia today, Halex said Chan, 45, had informed that he would like to pursue his own personal interests after fulfilling his contract with the company.

He was appointed as the group's executive director and CEO on Oct 1, 2015.

"The board meanwhile would be taking steps to engage a replacement and an appropriate announcement would be made in due course," it said.

Goldis Bhd has declared a first interim dividend of two sen per share for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2016, to be paid out on Aug 12.

The company announced to Bursa Malaysia that the ex-date for the dividend will be on July 22.

"Holders of Redeemable Convertible Cumulative Preference Shares (RCPS) are reminded to lodge with the registrar of the company, Tricor Investor & Issuing House Services Sdn Bhd, their conversion forms by 5pm on or before July 14, 2016, in order to be entitled to the first interim dividend," the filing read.

ML Global Bhd has redesignated its non-independent director Tan Sri Lim Hock San as its managing director (MD), replacing Beh Hang Kong who was redesignated as executive director, effective today.

The boardroom changes came after LBS Bina Group Bhd, an entity controlled by Lim, gained control of ML Global with an equity stake of 50.92%.

Beh has been MD at ML Global since Jan 16, 2008. He has been appointed as executive director at Yong Tai Bhd since Jan 15, 2016.

Meanwhile, ML Global also redesignated its non-independent director Datuk Wira Lim Hock Guan as its executive director.

Source: theedgemarkets