MONEY MASTER

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Friday as investors locked in gains following a recent rally. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) declined 24.33 points, or 1.39 per cent, to 1,716.61 from Thursday’s close of 1,740.94. The benchmark opened 3.88 points lower at 1,737.06 and traded between 1,714.09 and 1,737.06 during the session. Market breadth was negative, with 842 decliners outpacing 376 gainers, while 491 counters were unchanged. A total of 981 counters were untraded and 76 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.53 billion units valued at RM5.53 billion, compared with 2.98 billion units worth RM4.07 billion on Thursday.

Singapore equities ended Friday with strong stock-specific moves, led by a sharp rally in shipbuilding and property names. The benchmark  FTSE Straits Times Index  saw mixed sector performance, with industrial and property counters outperforming while select tech names corrected. STI Movers Top Gainers: Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd  +10.71% (S$4.34) UOL Group Ltd  +5.62% Seatrium Ltd  +5.26% City Developments Ltd  +4.91% Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd  +2.48% Top Losers: Venture Corp Ltd  -7.51% DFI Retail Group Holdings Ltd  -2.10% CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust  -2.00% Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust  -1.98% Mapletree Logistics Trust  -0.77% Key Point: Capital rotated into industrial and marine names, while technology and REIT counters lagged. Most Actively Traded Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd  was the most actively traded stock: Closing price: S$4.34 Turnover: S$299.98 million Gain: +10....

Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Feb 27, with broad-based weakness outweighing selective blue-chip strength. The  FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI  closed at  1,716.61 (-1.40%) , while: FBM 70 Index : -0.88% FBM Small Cap Index : -0.64% FBM Emas Index : -1.23% Selling pressure was broad, but liquidity remained strong in banks and large caps. FBM KLCI Movers Top Gainers: Sime Darby Bhd  +2.09% (RM2.44) QL Resources Bhd  +2.00% MR D.I.Y. Group (M) Bhd  +1.70% Tenaga Nasional Bhd  +1.41% RHB Bank Bhd  +1.20% Top Losers: Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd  -6.18% Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd  -5.06% CIMB Group Holdings Bhd  -4.96% YTL Corp Bhd  -4.17% 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd  -3.91% Key Point: Commodity-linked names and financials dragged the index lower despite defensive pockets holding up. FBM 70 Movers Top Gainer: UWC Bhd  +9.49% Top Losers: Padini Holdings Bhd  -7.00% MBSB Bhd  -5.92% Astro Malaysia Holdings ...

Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd  reported a modest improvement in 2QFY2026 earnings, supported by loan growth and cost discipline, despite margin compression and higher impairment charges. Net profit for the quarter rose 7% year-on-year to RM899.3 million. The group declared an interim dividend of  22 sen per share , up 10% from last year. For 1HFY2026, net profit increased 3.2% to RM1.74 billion. Key Financial Metrics 2QFY2026: Net profit: RM899.3 million (+7%) Revenue: RM1.92 billion (+3.2%) Interim dividend: 22 sen 1HFY2026: Net profit: RM1.74 billion (+3.2%) Revenue: RM3.86 billion Operational highlights: Gross loans growth: +8.2% YoY to RM215.7 billion Domestic loan growth: +8.3% (vs industry 4.9%) Net interest margin: 1.83% CASA growth: +12.1% to RM79.6 billion Cost-to-income ratio: improved to 35.9% Gross impaired loans ratio: 0.59% CET1 ratio: 12.6% Annualised ROE: 10.7% Book value per share: RM29.16 Money Master Take HLFG’s quarter reflects operational stability rather...

RHB Bank Bhd  reported a solid 4QFY2025, with net profit rising 8.5% year-on-year to RM905.7 million. The bank declared a  35 sen dividend  for the quarter, bringing total FY2025 dividends to  50 sen per share , up from 43 sen previously. Full-year net profit rose 7.8% to RM3.36 billion. Quarterly Highlights 4QFY2025: Net profit: RM905.7 million (+8.5%) Driven by lower provisions and stronger non-interest income Dividend: 35 sen FY2025: Net profit: RM3.36 billion (+7.8%) Net interest income: RM6.0 billion (+3.9%) Net interest margin: 1.88% Gross impaired loans ratio: improved to 1.41% CET1 ratio: 15.2% (post-dividend) Money Master Take This is not a breakout quarter. It is a balance-sheet-quality quarter. 1. Provisions Did the Heavy Lifting Profit growth was supported largely by: Lower bad debt provisions Better asset quality trends Gross impaired loans improved to 1.41%, suggesting credit costs are contained. When earnings expansion comes from lower provisions rathe...

Shares of  MBSB Bhd  fell to a one-month low after the group reported FY2025 results that missed both house and consensus estimates. The stock dropped as much as 8% to 70 sen, erasing gains built over the past month. Market capitalisation stands at approximately RM5.8 billion. What Went Wrong According to  BIMB Securities : FY2025 net profit fell 31% YoY to RM280 million Results met only 69% of forecasts Fund-based income declined 18% Credit cost rose to 55 bps (from 37 bps) Gross impaired loans ratio increased to 6.3% The earnings drag came from weaker operating income and higher impairment charges. While non-fund income surged nearly 76%, supported by government scheme funds and investment gains, it was insufficient to offset pressure from financing income and credit provisions. Cost-to-income ratio also rose to 57.9%. Money Master Take This is less about one weak quarter and more about asset quality direction. 1. Credit Quality Deterioration Is the Core Issue The rise ...

Shares of  DRB-Hicom Bhd  surged to a three-month high after delivering earnings well above expectations. The stock climbed as much as 8% to RM1.24, valuing the group at roughly RM2.4 billion. But beneath the headline beat, analyst opinions remain sharply divided. What Drove the Surprise According to  Hong Leong Investment Bank : 4QFY2025 core PATAMI: ~RM136 million FY2025 core earnings: ~RM178 million Earnings came in at 189% of HLIB’s forecast Key drivers: Strong Proton vehicle sales Improved margins Land sales contribution Proton highlights: 19,800 units sold in January 2026 (record high) Over 100,000 bookings for Saga MC3 3,000+ deliveries of e.MAS 5 EV in January Consolidation of manufacturing at Tanjung Malim for cost efficiency Money Master Take This is a classic case of  headline beat vs structural sustainability . 1️⃣ Proton Is Carrying the Story The turnaround narrative rests heavily on Proton. Sales momentum is strong EV adoption gaining traction Geely reg...

Wall Street has been aggressively selling software stocks on fears that artificial intelligence could disrupt traditional business models. Retail investors are doing the opposite. As institutional money exits, individual traders are stepping in at near-record levels. The Setup S&P Composite 1500 Software & Services Index  has dropped almost  20% year-to-date . Yet retail trading flows into software names are approaching record highs, according to  JPMorgan Chase & Co.  data. Most popular retail picks: Microsoft Corp. ServiceNow Inc. AppLovin Corp. Meanwhile, AI concerns have pressured names like  Salesforce Inc.  and  Adobe Inc. . Even  Nvidia Corp.  saw record retail dip-buying after its recent pullback. Money Master Take This isn’t just about “buying the dip.” It’s about a clash between structural fear and tactical opportunity. 1️⃣ Retail Is Trading Price Action, Not AI Disruption Risk Institutional selling is driven by: Margin ...

Malaysia’s IPO market just received a major catalyst. Sunway Healthcare Holdings Bhd  has begun bookbuilding for a  RM2.86 billion (US$734 million)  IPO, potentially the country’s largest listing since 2017. The company plans to list on March 18 at  RM1.45 per share , implying a  RM16.7 billion valuation . That would make it the second-largest listed healthcare provider in Malaysia after  IHH Healthcare Bhd . Deal Snapshot Shares offered: 1.97 billion IPO price: RM1.45 Market cap: RM16.7 billion Proceeds use: Hospital expansion New hospital construction Redemption of Islamic medium-term notes Cornerstone investors include: JPMorgan Asset Management Eastspring Investments RBC Global Asset Management Parent company:  Sunway Bhd Existing listed carve-outs include  Sunway Construction Group Bhd  and  Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust . Money Master Take This IPO matters for three reasons beyond the headline size. 1️⃣ A Healthcare Growth Pl...

South Korea’s sovereign pension powerhouse just delivered its strongest performance in history. National Pension Service  (NPS) returned  18.82% in 2025 , marking its third straight year of record gains — the highest since its establishment in 1988. With  1,458 trillion won (US$1.02 trillion)  under management, its positioning now carries major implications for Korean equities. The Numbers Behind the Surge Total AUM: 1,458 trillion won 2025 return: 18.82% Domestic equities: +82.44% Overseas equities: +19.74% The rally was driven largely by semiconductor and AI-linked stocks. Meanwhile, the  KOSPI Index  has: Climbed more than 45% in 2026 Gained over 75% in 2025 Surpassed the 6,000 level Money Master Take This story is not about past returns. It’s about capital flow power and forward allocation impact. 1️⃣ Domestic Reallocation Is the Real Signal NPS recently: Increased target exposure to domestic equities Reduced the scale of overseas equity trimming Adjust...

Hong Kong’s primary market is showing clear signs of revival. Four companies launched share offerings on Friday, aiming to raise up to  HK$4.9 billion (US$626 million)  combined — extending what is already the city’s strongest start to a year since 2021. A Strong Start to 2026 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing  has seen IPOs and secondary listings raise approximately  US$5.5 billion in January , the best January performance since 2021 (US$7.6 billion). The Lunar New Year pause is over — and deal flow is accelerating. Money Master Take This isn’t just about four IPOs. It’s about what reopening issuance tells you about capital markets. 1️⃣ Primary Market Confidence Is Returning When IPO pipelines reopen aggressively: Bankers sense demand Issuers believe valuations are acceptable Institutional money is deploying capital The fact that four deals launched simultaneously suggests  risk appetite has improved materially in Greater China equities . 2️⃣ Sector Positioning ...

Netflix Inc.  has officially exited the bidding war for  Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. , clearing the path for  Paramount Skydance Corp.  to proceed with its US$111 billion takeover. Netflix shares jumped 13% after-hours. That reaction is the real story. 1️⃣ The Market Rewarded Discipline, Not Size Netflix refused to match the higher US$31 per share offer. Instead of stretching its balance sheet: It preserved capital Avoided integration risk Avoided regulatory drag Avoided legacy cable exposure Investor Signal: In 2026, capital allocation discipline is worth more than empire-building. 2️⃣ Paramount Just Shifted Into High-Leverage Mode Paramount’s winning bid includes: US$57.5B committed debt financing US$2.8B termination payment to Netflix US$7B regulatory failure protection Add in political scrutiny and Senate hearings. This is now: A leverage-heavy transaction A synergy-dependent story A regulatory-risk discount situation Risk profile increased materially. 3️⃣ Netfli...