Stockwatch

Mieco Chipboard: Mieco Chipboard Bhd's share price hit a 52-week high of RM1.71 last Friday. Analysts covering the stock are calling a buy on expectations of better future earnings. The company recently announced that it was investing RM300mil in a new state-of-the-art plant in Pahang to boost production levels to supply particle boards to China. An analyst said the expansion was a well-thought plan and the in- creased production capacity was for a ready market in China. For its first quarter ended March 2003, revenue increased 2.4% to RM39.2mil. However, net profit dropped 2.8% to RM5.8mil. 

GHL Systems: THIS Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status-company has generated much interest on the Mesdaq market since all magnetic-stripe ATM cards must be converted to chip-based bankcards by Sep- tember 2003, and Visa and MasterCard credit cards by 2005. An analyst said the near-term outlook for the company was bright in view of the migration to chip-based technology, the outsourcing trend in the provision of electronic draft capture (EDC) terminals and rising online transactions. GHL is the biggest distributor of the VeriFone EDC terminals in Malaysia. 

UMW: MOST analysts tracking this stock have a positive outlook despite the overall slowdown in the local automotive industry. The group’s pre-tax profit for the first six months ended June 30 increased by 8.6% to RM235.1mil from RM216.4mil in 2002's first half. Turnover for the first six months was 35.1% higher at RM2.4bil. Improved Toyota vehicle sales were attributed to better performance of the equipment division and relatively stable Japanese yen exchange. Most analysts view the company’s diversification into the oil and gas industry as a step in the right direction. 

YTL e-Solutions: LISTED on July 2, 2002, YTL e-Solutions (YTLE) has kept a rather low profile, and is hardly covered by research houses. However, considering the recent rally on the Mesdaq, investors seeking exposure to technology-driven companies may want to have a second look at the stock. YTLE is backed by its parent company YTL group, which has good cashflow and a strong balance sheet, and the parent’s corporate clients generate over 99% to YTLE’s revenue. The company is also venturing into two main businesses, namely Voice-over Internet Protocol and maintaining a property portal.  

Bintulu Port: BINTULU Port is expected to enjoy a steady stream of income in the long term from Petroliam National Bhd which will use it as a permanent base for its LNG tankers plying the lucrative Far-East market. The recent discovery of oil off the Sarawak coast is likely to spur more activities. The port experienced a massive 90% growth in transshipment containers in the FY02 and consistent efforts to position itself as the main container hub for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area should augur well for the company. 

GHL Systems: THIS Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status-company has generated much interest on the Mesdaq market since all magnetic-stripe ATM cards must be converted to chip-based bankcards by Sep- tember 2003, and Visa and MasterCard credit cards by 2005. An analyst said the near-term outlook for the company was bright in view of the migration to chip-based technology, the outsourcing trend in the provision of electronic draft capture (EDC) terminals and rising online transactions. GHL is the biggest distributor of the VeriFone EDC terminals in Malaysia. 

UMW: MOST analysts tracking this stock have a positive outlook despite the overall slowdown in the local automotive industry. The group’s pre-tax profit for the first six months ended June 30 increased by 8.6% to RM235.1mil from RM216.4mil in 2002's first half. Turnover for the first six months was 35.1% higher at RM2.4bil. Improved Toyota vehicle sales were attributed to better performance of the equipment division and relatively stable Japanese yen exchange. Most analysts view the company’s diversification into the oil and gas industry as a step in the right direction. 

YTL e-Solutions: LISTED on July 2, 2002, YTL e-Solutions (YTLE) has kept a rather low profile, and is hardly covered by research houses. However, considering the recent rally on the Mesdaq, investors seeking exposure to technology-driven companies may want to have a second look at the stock. YTLE is backed by its parent company YTL group, which has good cashflow and a strong balance sheet, and the parent’s corporate clients generate over 99% to YTLE’s revenue. The company is also venturing into two main businesses, namely Voice-over Internet Protocol and maintaining a property portal.  

Bintulu Port: BINTULU Port is expected to enjoy a steady stream of income in the long term from Petroliam National Bhd which will use it as a permanent base for its LNG tankers plying the lucrative Far-East market. The recent discovery of oil off the Sarawak coast is likely to spur more activities. The port experienced a massive 90% growth in transshipment containers in the FY02 and consistent efforts to position itself as the main container hub for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area should augur well for the company.