CTOS, AEON Co, Apex Healthcare, Genting Plantations, Hap Seng Plantations, IOI Corp, Malakoff, Maybulk, Media Prima, Padini, Sarawak Plantation, SunCon and UEM Sunrise

CTOS, AEON Co, Apex Healthcare, Genting Plantations, Hap Seng Plantations, IOI Corp, Malakoff, Maybulk, Media Prima, Padini, Sarawak Plantation, SunCon and UEM Sunrise

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Based on corporate announcements and news flow on Wednesday (Feb 23), companies that may be in focus on Thursday (Feb 24) include CTOS Digital Bhd, AEON Co (M) Bhd, Apex Healthcare Bhd, Genting Plantations Bhd, Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd, IOI Corporation Bhd, Malakoff Corp Bhd, Malaysian Bulk Carriers Bhd, Media Prima Bhd, Padini Holdings Bhd, Sarawak Plantation Bhd, Sunway Construction Group Bhd and UEM Sunrise Bhd.

CTOS Digital Bhd has finalised the issue price of its proposed primary placement exercise at RM1.58 per share to raise a total of RM173.8 million.

CTOS said its board decided to raise only RM173.8 million by placing out 110 million shares representing 5% of its share base to optimise the amount of equity and debt to fund the company’s acquisitions, and to defray the estimated costs associated with the proposed placement.

AEON Co (M) Bhd posted a more than 2.5-times jump in net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) to RM70.98 million from RM27.16 million a year earlier, on the back of higher revenue and lower costs.

Revenue for the quarter rose 8.25% to RM992.1 million from RM916.49 million due to its retail business segment’s improved performance in line with the relaxation of Movement Control Order restrictions in September 2021.

Apex Healthcare Bhd saw its net profit climb 44% year-on-year to RM20.7 million in the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) from RM14.39 million, on higher margin products in the sales mix of the group’s operating subsidiaries and improved quarterly contribution from its associates.

Quarterly revenue rose 22% to RM197.66 million compared with RM161.58 million in the same period last year. The pharmaceutical company proposed a final dividend of three sen per share, as well as a special dividend of six sen per share, to be approved by its shareholders at the upcoming annual general meeting.

Genting Plantations Bhd closed its financial year ended Dec 31, 2021 (FY21) with a 70% jump in annual earnings and a dividend payout of 19 sen per share — comprising a 15 sen special dividend and a proposed final dividend of four sen — as its fourth quarter (4QFY21) net profit doubled to RM161.64 million from RM79.04 million in 4QFY20.

Quarterly revenue rose 45% to RM1.07 billion from RM739.25 million, backed by improved contributions from both its plantation and downstream manufacturing segments as palm product prices strengthened against the previous year, which more than compensated for the lower year-on-year fresh fruit bunch production and sales volume of biodiesel and refined palm products.

Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd’s net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 jumped 155.22% to RM94.31 million from RM36.95 million a year ago, underpinned by higher palm oil prices.

Revenue for the quarter rose 27.12% to RM194.83 million from RM153.27 million a year ago. The group has proposed a second interim dividend of 15.5 sen for the latest quarter, which will be paid on March 23, 2022.

IOI Corporation Bhd saw its net profit in the second quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (2QFY22) jump by 39.08% to RM494.7 million from RM355.7 million reported in the same period the prior year, underpinned by higher contribution across its plantation and resource-based manufacturing segments.

The group said its quarterly revenue surged by 67.53% to RM4.11 billion from RM2.45 billion, fuelled by higher revenue reported by its plantation segment amid increase in crude palm oil prices. The group declared its first interim dividend of six sen per share, to be paid on March 25.

Malakoff Corp Bhd’s net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) declined by 78% to RM9.21 million from RM41.64 million in FY20 due to write-offs and impairments, despite higher revenues.

Malakoff’s 4Q revenue was 28% up to RM1.94 billion from RM1.51 billion, mainly due to higher energy payments from Tanjung Bin Power Sdn Bhd on the back of higher applicable coal prices.

Malaysian Bulk Carriers Bhd (Maybulk) returned to the black by reporting a net profit of RM192.53 million for financial year ended Dec 31, 2021 (FY21), mainly on the back of a disposal, snapping a two-year losing streak. It posted a net loss of RM20.78 million in the year prior. Revenue for the year stood at RM207.04 million, a 17.65% or RM31.06 million improvement over FY20’s RM175.99 million.

Media Prima Bhd posted a 279% jump in net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) to RM28.94 million from RM7.63 million in the immediate preceding quarter on higher revenue and lower operating costs.

Its quarterly revenue grew 22.77% to RM315.9 million from RM257.31 million driven by several major advertising campaigns, which included Lazada, Shopee, Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian and early Chinese New Year advertising campaigns.

Media Prima declared a first and final dividend of 1.5 sen per share, payable on May 20, 2022.

Padini Holdings Bhd booked a record high quarterly net profit of RM60.89 million in the second quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (2QFY22), boosted by the full reopening of the economy after the national Covid-19 vaccine roll-out last year. The latest quarterly net profit was about six times the RM10.65 million net profit it made in 2QFY21. Quarterly revenue rose 73.68% to RM427.17 million from RM245.96 million.

Sarawak Plantation Bhd’s net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) surged 95% to RM32.53 million from RM16.69 million last year, in line with an increase in operating profit despite loss arising from changes in fair value of biological assets of RM11.8 million for the current interim quarter.

Revenue for the quarter grew 84% to RM243.64 million from RM132.22 million due to the effect of higher realised average selling prices and higher sales volume of crude palm oil and palm kernel during the current interim quarter.

The company declared a single tier interim dividend of five sen per ordinary share in respect of the financial year ended Dec 31, 2021, payable on March 29, 2022.

Sunway Construction Group Bhd’s (SunCon) net profit for the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) more than doubled to RM64.73 million from RM30.2 million last year, due to better performance of its construction segment.

Revenue for the period was almost unchanged at RM626.61 million compared with RM627.24 million in the previous year.

The group declared a second interim single-tier dividend of four sen per ordinary share for FY21, payable on Apr 7, 2022.

UEM Sunrise Bhd’s net loss in the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2021 (4QFY21) widened further to RM152.26 million from RM134.66 million in the same period last year (4QFY20) on foreign exchange losses.

The property developer said its quarterly revenue fell by 18.85% to RM496.34 million from RM611.64 million in 4QFY20.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/ctos-aeon-co-apex-healthcare-genting-plantations-hap-seng-plantations-ioi-corp-malakoff