Corporate News

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KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia.

Corporate News

Tabung Haji becomes substantial shareholder in Focus Point

KUALA LUMPUR: Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has emerged as a substantial shareholder in Focus Point Holdings Bhd after acquiring 570,000 ordinary shares in the optical retail chain operator on July 21.

Commodities

Oil settles at six-week high on Mideast tensions

Oil prices settled at their highest since June 11 on Wednesday on mounting supply concerns as hostilities continued to escalate between the US and Iran, while threats to shipping by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen further boosted prices.

Markets

Wall St dips as oil, tech earnings take focus

The Nasdaq led Wall Street lower on Wednesday with a mixed performance from technology stocks, as investors waited for key earnings reports to gauge the health of a market rally fed by enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.

Corporate News

Improved outlook for CIMB in second half

Analysts are maintaining their respective calls on CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, stating that for its upcoming results, its profit before tax (PBT) could be lower amid rising risks to net interest margin (NIM) guidance.

Corporate News

Samsung Display set to take OLED top spot

Samsung Display is on course to overtake LG Display in the mid-to-large organic light emitting diode (OLED) market by revenue in the third quarter, taking the lead for the first time as South Korean manufacturers hold onto a display segment Chinese competitors have yet to break into.

Banking

Seoul ponders regulation on how long bank chiefs can stay

South Korea's financial authorities are considering capping financial holding company chairs at two three-year terms, a governance overhaul that could reshape leadership succession at the country's biggest banking groups and reignite debate over regulators' role in corporate governance.

Economy

Milestone Czech food shipment lands in Vietnam

The first official shipment of pork products from the Czech Republic arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday, marking a new milestone in trade relations between the two countries.

Economy

Danantara will have shut down 250 SOEs by end of July: Prabowo

State asset fund Danantara will have closed 250 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by the end of July under its consolidation drive, President Prabowo Subianto says.

Economy

Hanoi deepens trade ties with European Union

Vietnam is leveraging its 2026 Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) chairmanship to strengthen economic resilience and deepen cooperation between the member states and the European Union (EU).

Corporate News

China Mobile unveils massive AI infrastructure push

China Mobile is stepping up the push to promote wider cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), as the technology rapidly enters a large-scale commercialisation phase.

Markets

HK stock brokers resist planned lunch break scrap

Thousands of stock traders, brokers and other financial professionals in Hong Kong may soon lose their lunch hour – and some aren't happy about it. 

Markets

Malaysia drives ESG sukuk growth amid volatility

Fitch Ratings expects the global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sukuk market to soften in 2026 as Middle East tensions weigh on issuance.

Insight

Iran war ‘stagflation’ premium quietly mounts

The dark cloud of Middle East war is once again looming over financial markets.

Commodities

Range-bound price action likely for CPO

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) has projected crude palm oil (CPO) prices to remain range-bound at RM4,400 to RM4,650 per tonne in August, supported by Indonesia's B50 biodiesel mandate implementation starting July, firmer energy markets and improved biodiesel economics.

Corporate News

Blackstone seeks US$3bil loan as debt woes grow

Blackstone Inc is finalising a group of banks to underwrite a A$4.3bil (US$3bil) loan for the construction of AirTrunk Pty's new data centre (DC) in Australia, despite growing worries over the massive debt racked up for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure projects.

Corporate News

Private equity battles CEO shortage

The barbarians at the gate in Asia are struggling to get the right executives through the door at their takeover targets.

Economy

Sara increase a boon for consumer companies

A potential increase in targeted cash assistance is expected to provide a further boost to domestic consumption, particularly for spending on essential goods, if additional allocations are approved.

Corporate News

Ancom Nylex earnings uplift likely to ease ahead

Ancom Nylex Bhd's industrial chemicals segment is experiencing a Brent-driven uplift, which is likely to moderate from the second quarter of the financial year 2027 (2Q27) should crude oil prices ease amid any de-escalation in the Iran war, says Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research.

Auto

First-half gains lift auto sector confidence

The automotive sector may be on track for a stronger second half of financial year 2026 (2H26) after total industry volume (TIV) exceeded expectations in the first six months of the year.