Pentamaster cautiously optimistic

KUALA LUMPUR: Pentamaster Corp Bhd maintains a cautious yet optimistic approach in 2024, concentrating on capitalising on opportunities to diversify its sources of revenue.

“In addition to allocating resources to areas with significant potential, the group will continue to place a strong emphasis on continuous innovation and improvement in its design and operational processes for its products and solutions,” the semiconductor test equipment manufacturer said in a Bursa filing.

Pentamaster said as the group progresses into the latter half of its 4-year plan outlined in the "Grand Roadmap & Key Focus 2022-2025", it is crucial for the group to accelerate the construction of Campus 3.

“To this end, phase one and phase two featuring the construction of two manufacturing plants, spanning approximately 720,000 sq.ft. are in progress concurrently with a targeted full completion set for the first quarter of 2025. Anticipating the completion of the third plant, the group aims to mark a significant milestone,” it added.

In the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, Pentamaster saw its net profit dip 9% to RM20.7mil compared with RM22.7mil posted last year.

Revenue, however, rose 14.5% to RM169.01mil against RM147.6mil. Earnings per share for the quarter fell to 2.91 sen from 3.20 sen a year ago.

For the full year, Pentamaster posted a net profit of RM89.1mil, up 8.1% from RM82.4mil while revenue expanded 15.2% to RM691.9mil against RM600.6mil.