KUALA LUMPUR (July 18): Based on corporate announcements and news flow today, companies that may be in focus tomorrow (July 19) could include: Ekovest, Wang-Zheng, Heineken, Vivocom, Microlink, Affin, Goodway and Sunway.
Ekovest Bhd has secured several key tenants for its EkoCheras Mall, which is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2018.
They include GSC, Village Grocer, Borders Books, Starbucks and Coffee Bean, the company said.
Separately, the group announced a 23-year RM3.64 billion sukuk issuance to part finance the Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (formerly known as the Duke Phase-3 Expressway).
Wang-Zheng Bhd is acquiring two shop office units in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, for RM6.3 million.
The company said the properties are being bought by its wholly-owned units Carefree Cotton Industries (M) Sdn Bhd and New Top Win Corp Sdn Bhd from Macrolink International Land (M) Sdn Bhd and Iskandar Investment Bhd.
Wang-Zheng said the properties are located within Macrolink Medini, an ongoing mixed development project in Iskandar Puteri, comprising residential and commercial properties.
It is 35% complete and is expected to be fully completed with certificate of compliance and completion by first quarter of 2019, it said.
Heineken Malaysia Bhd (formerly Guinness Anchor Bhd) saw its net profit for the quarter ended June 2016 grow by 38.3% to RM60.88 million from RM44.02 million a year ago, on higher sales driven by the four-week long football tournament in the quarter under review.
Heineken attributed the 15.6% increase in revenue to RM459.51 million in the three months ended June 2016 from RM397.62 million a year ago to higher sales as well as a low base last year, as a result of lower consumer demand post-goods and services tax.
The group also declared a second interim dividend of 35 sen per 50 sen stock unit, payable on Oct 7.
Vivocom Intl Holdings Bhd has denied rumours that its chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Seri Dr Yeoh Seong Mok intends to leave the company.
"The board of directors would like to deny such rumours and speculations and wishes to clarify and confirm that [Yeoh] shall remain as the CEO of the company, and that he has no intention of leaving the company as reported in the press," the group said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia.
A news report had quoted a source as saying Yeoh may be seeking early retirement, and that he was "determined to go".
Microlink Solutions Bhd has received a letter of intent from Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd (Bank Rakyat) on its decision to enhance the existing core banking system created by Microlink.
Bank Rakyat also invited Microlink for a detailed discussion to finalise its software project cost, scope of work and timeline, the information technology solutions provider told Bursa Malaysia in a filing today.
"Teams from both organisations are currently engaged in detailing the enhancements to the platform, designed to equip Bank Rakyat and its customers with the tools required for banking of the future," it added.
Affin Bank Bhd, the conventional banking arm of Affin Holdings Bhd, is lowering its base rate by 19 basis points to 3.8% per annum, from 3.99%, effective tomorrow (July 19), following Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)'s move to cut the overnight policy rate (OPR).
In a statement today, the bank said both its base lending rate and Affin Islamic Bank Bhd's base financing rate will also be lowered to 6.66% and 6.85% respectively.
"The window of opportunity is there amid stable inflation and few other favourable outlooks for BNM to pre-emptively reduce OPR and this remain consistent with Money Policy Committee's accommodative monetary stance to further strengthen the country's economy which is projected to grow between 4% [and] 4.5% in 2016.
"The reduction in rates will also result in cost savings for the Bank's customers in the long run and help grow their businesses further in this challenging environment," said Affin managing director/CEO Kamarul Ariffin Mohd Jamil.
Goodway Integrated Industries Bhd is acquiring security solutions provider S5 Systems Sdn Bhd from NSA Technology Sdn Bhd for RM900 million.
In a bourse filing today, Goodway said it has inked a share sale agreement with NSA Technology for the injection of the entire equity interest of S5 Systems into Goodway for 1.8 billion new Goodway shares at an issue price of 50 sen per share.
In conjunction with the corporate exercise, there will be an offer for sale by NSA Technology of up to 165.8 million Goodway shares to existing Goodway shareholders at 50 sen per share, on the basis of three shares for every two shares held.
Additionally, NSA Technology will also be placing up to 440 million Goodway shares to investors to be identified at a price to be determined via book building.
Sunway Bhd is forming a joint venture (JV) with a Singapore-based company to invest in the logistics business, tapping into the growing e-commerce industry in Malaysia.
Sunway said its wholly-owned subsidiary Sunway Holdings Sdn Bhd and 70%-owned subsidiary Sunway IBS Sdn Bhd have entered into an agreement with PopBox Asia Pte Ltd to set up the JV.
The JV company will be used to operate automated parcel lockers, and set up parcel collection and return points at convenient locations nationwide, it said in a bourse filing today.
Sunway said this is in view of the growing e-commerce industry in Malaysia, whereby it is projected there will be a need for convenient parcel collection and returns.
"The proposed JV will be able to provide locations nationwide to facilitate automated parcel collection and returns between consumers and merchants," said Sunway.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/my/article/ekovest-wang-zheng-heineken-vivocom-microlink-affin-goodway-and-sunway
