Banking

AMMB poised for strong dividend growth

PETALING JAYA: RHB Research believes that AMMB Holdings Bhd's overlay reserves of RM484mil should help cushion potential profit-and-loss volatility, while its strong capital base leaves room for further shareholder returns.

Corporate News

Is tokenisation needed in the age of AI?

OVERHEARD in a business planning meeting: "What will happen to asset tokenisation with advances in artificial intelligence (AI)? Do we still need to prepare for it?"

Corporate News

Foreign worker policy shift to aid Manforce recovery

PETALING JAYA: Manforce Group Bhd's core earnings could potentially decline in financial year 2026 (FY26) and recover over FY27-FY28, led by the removal of foreign worker quota applications.

Corporate News

M-REITs bulwark in uncertain landscape

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian real estate investment trusts (M-REITs) remain relatively insulated from the Middle East conflict and this is underpinned by their domestic-centric earnings profile, says RHB Research.

Corporate News

Mudajaya wins appeal in fund misappropriation case

PETALING JAYA: Mudajaya Group Bhd has achieved a favourable outcome at the Court of Appeal in its long-running fund misappropriation case against former employee Michael Chua Khian Keng, with the compensation award raised to RM72.2mil from RM43.5mil previously granted by the High Court.

Corporate News

Siemens warns EU over restrictive rules 

HANOVER: Siemens AG will prioritise artificial intelligence (AI) investments in the United States and China if the European Union (EU) doesn't adapt its restrictive regulations, according to chief executive officer Roland Busch.

Aviation

AirAsia tests market with US$230mil private debt

KUALA LUMPUR: Deutsche Bank AG is marketing a US$230mil private-credit deal for Malaysian budget airline AirAsia Aviation Group, according to people familiar with the matter, testing investor demand for the carrier amid rising fuel prices.

Forex

Ringgit to test new high this year

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian ringgit is likely to retest its year-to-date peak versus the dollar thanks to strong fundamentals, according to strategists.

Economy

Is it time to abandon hope the Strait of Hormuz will open soon?

A CONSISTENT theme in global oil markets since the United States and Israel attacked Iran is that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz will be short-lived, and therefore so will the disruption to the supply of crude and refined products.

Corporate News

Exsim Hospitality job wins beat expectations

PETALING JAYA: Exsim Hospitality Bhd's latest RM138mil contract win has lifted the group's financial year 2026 (FY26) year-to-date (y-t-d) new job wins to RM364.2mil, says TA Research.

Commodities

Inflation pressures to build as conflict drives up costs

PETALING JAYA: Early signs of inflationary pressures are emerging, with headline inflation edging up to 1.7% year-on-year in March from 1.4% in February, as higher fuel and transport costs begin to filter through the economy.

Corporate News

South Korean Samyang’s Buldak sets high bar

SEOUL: Calling Samyang Foods' Buldak a game changer might not be sufficient to comprehensively describe the impact of its megahit spicy instant noodle brand on the South Korean ramyeon maker.

Corporate News

Latest DC job win shores up Gamuda’s outlook

PETALING JAYA: Analysts remain positive on Gamuda Bhd after the group secured a fresh RM1.72bil hyperscale data centre (DC) contract in Port Dickson, as the latest win strengthens visibility over earnings and keeps its ambitious order-book target within reach.

Corporate News

SunCon on track to achieve order-book target

PETALING JAYA: Sunway Construction Group Bhd's (SunCon) RM6bil order book replenishment target for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2026 (FY26) is expected to be on target despite the uncertainties from rising costs due to the Middle East conflict.

Economy

IEA: Increase in renewable energy curbs 2025 emissions

PARIS: Global emissions rose at a slower rate in 2025 as the expansion of solar power helped developing countries offset emissions growth in advanced economies, led by the United States, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says in a report.

Economy

Hungary moves to unblock EU aid to Ukraine, tap frozen funds

BUDAPEST: Hungary's outgoing government signals it's ready to unblock the European Union's (EU) €90bil (US$106bil) loan to Ukraine as soon as this week just as the new leadership in Budapest kicked off intensive talks with Brussels to tap its own stalled funding.

Economy

GDP likely to grow in first quarter of this year

PETALING JAYA: The gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to show resilient expansion in the first quarter of financial year 2026 (1Q26), supported by firm external trade momentum and steady domestic demand.

Corporate News

Brazil MSMA approval to boost Ancom Nylex outlook

PETALING JAYA: Brazil's approval of monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA) for soybean cultivation is set to be a positive catalyst for Ancom Nylex Bhd, with the group's existing production capacity expected to potentially double from current levels.

Corporate News

Dnex unit bags Saudi contracts

KUALA LUMPUR: Dagang NeXchange Bhd's (Dnex) wholly owned subsidiary Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd has secured site facilitation, logistics and telecommunications infrastructure service contracts to continue supporting Saudi Arabia's Makkah Route initiative for this year's haj season.

Corporate News

Martabe gold mine to restart in middle of May

JAKARTA: Local heavy machinery firm United Tractors says its mining subsidiary Agincourt Resources will resume operations at the Martabe gold mine in mid-May.