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UMediC Group Bhd’s 4QFY25 core profit after tax and minority interests came in at RM2.9m (+60.0% quarter-on-quarter, -6.2% year-on-year (YoY)), brought FY25 sum to RM8.2m (-15.4% YoY). This came in above our and consensus full year estimates.

The positive deviation stemmed primarily from the stronger-than-expected profit before tax (PBT) margin realised in the distribution division.

As such, we raised our FY26-27 profit forecasts by +16%/+12% to mainly reflect higher PBT margin assumptions for its distribution division. Despite the earnings revision (which led to higher target price), we maintain our Hold rating on UMedic as share price has run ahead of fundamentals. — HLIB Research, a unit of Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (Sep 12, 2025)

(Calls by analysts tracked by Bloomberg: 1 Buy, 2 Hold, 0 Sell; Consensus target price: 39 sen)

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KUALA LUMPUR — Bursa Malaysia finished today’s session in the red as investors locked in profits after a three-day rally, while most regional indexes ended broadly higher after the US producer price inflation came in unexpectedly softer for August.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) erased 7.90 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 1,582.85 from Wednesday’s close of 1,590.75.

The index had opened 7.92 points lower at 1,582.83 and moved between 1,580.16 and 1,583.82 throughout today’s trading session.

In the broader market, losers were ahead of gainers 483 to 461, while 554 counters were unchanged, with 1,124 untraded and 11 suspended.

Turnover was, however, trimmed to 2.48 billion units worth RM2.32 billion from 2.66 billion units worth RM2.29 billion yesterday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the US data fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve is now more likely to cut interest rates at its meeting next week, with investors betting on at least a quarter-point reduction.

“The prospect of looser monetary policy lifted sentiment across regional markets, providing a boost to equities despite ongoing concerns over global growth,” he said.

On the domestic front, Thong said Rakuten viewed the profit-taking as a healthy correction to digest the recent uptrend.

“We reckon that as long as the benchmark index is able to hold above the 1,580 level, chances to breach 1,600 is higher. We anticipate the FBM KLCI to trend within the range of 1,575-1,600 towards the weekend,” he added.

Elsewhere, at the time of writing, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.43 per cent to 26,086.32, Singapore Strait Times Index advanced 0.05 per cent to 4,348.70, South Korea’s Kospi added 0.90 per cent to 3,344.20 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 perked up 1.22 per cent to 44,372.50.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank added 10 sen to RM9.77, Public Bank and CIMB were three sen better at RM4.22 and RM7.24, Tenaga Nasional gained four sen to RM13.22 and IHH Healthcare rose five sen to RM7.15.

For active stocks, VS Industry gained one sen to 55 sen, Pharmaniaga perked up 2.5 sen to 24.5 sen, Tanco advanced one sen to 81 sen, 99 Speedmart was flat at RM2.49 and Sime Darby lost one sen to RM2.15.

Petronas Dagangan and LPI Capital were the top losers, dropping 62 sen and 12 sen to RM21.38 and RM14.34 respectively.

Top gainers for the day were led by Malaysian Pacific Industries, adding 52 sen to RM28.22, Hong Leong Industries rose 30 sen to RM13.78 and UWC raked in 27 sen to RM3.27.

On the index board, the FBM 70 Index advanced 45.41 points to 16,468.74, while the FBM ACE Index earned 21.61 points to 4,749.71 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 6.02 points to 11,775.94.

But, the FBM Emas Index shed 31.41 points to 11,755.04 and the FBMT 100 Index reduced 35.66 points to 11,515.80.

By sector, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.25 of a point to 164.33, the Plantation Index gained 3.43 points to 7,685.56, while the Financial Services Index lost 138.89 points to 17,953.26 and the Energy Index slipped 2.53 points to 737.53.

The Main Market volume slipped to 1.39 billion units valued at RM2.04 billion from 1.46 billion units valued at RM2.04 billion on Wednesday.

Warrant turnover declined to 771.31 million units worth RM135.34 million from 945.49 million units worth RM151.63 million previously.

The ACE Market volume rose to 314.81 million worth RM141.82 million from 257.12 million worth RM102.18 million.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 219.51 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (316.57 million), construction (98.06 million), technology (151.74 million), financial services (70.13 million), property (122.70 million), plantation (39.89 million), REITs (39.97 million), closed/fund (19,900), energy (92.87 million), healthcare (142.59 million), telecommunications and media (38.97 million), transportation and logistics (30.89 million), utilities (28.82 million), and business trusts (130,300). — BERNAMA

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KUALA LUMPUR — PMB Investment Bhd have declared both the PMB Shariah Premier Fund and PMB Shariah Equity Fund annual distributions of 2.0 sen per unit for the financial year ended Aug 31, 2025 and Aug 30, 2025 respectively, amounting to a total gross distribution of over RM11 million.

It said in a statement today that the PMB Shariah Premier Fund achieved 5.26 per cent yield with a total gross distribution of RM4.85 million while the PMB Shariah Equity Fund delivered a 3.37 per cent yield with a total gross distribution of RM6.41 million.

“The PMB Shariah Premier Fund’s net asset value (NAV) will adjust from RM0.4048 to RM0.3848 following the distribution, with the ex-date on Aug 29, 2025 and the reinvestment date on Sept 2, 2025.

“Meanwhile, the PMB Shariah Equity Fund’s NAV will move from RM0.6364 to RM0.6164 post-distribution, sharing the same ex-date of Aug 29, 2025 and reinvestment date of Sept 2, 2025,” it said. 

PMB Investment chief executive officer Hang Tuah Amin Tajudin (picture) said the PMB Shariah Premier Fund has delivered a three-year cumulative return of 37.57 per cent, or 12.52 per cent average annually as of Aug 31, 2025, while the PMB Shariah Equity Fund achieved 62.29 per cent cumulative returns or 20.76 per cent average annually.

“We remain optimistic about shariah-compliant investment opportunities and our research capabilities to deliver sustained value for our unitholders,” he said. — BERNAMA

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BURSA MALAYSIA opened lower on Thursday after three straight days of gains, as investors stayed cautious ahead of the release of the United States’ August consumer price index (CPI) data later in the day.

At 9.05 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) retreated 9.61 points to 1,581.14 from Wednesday’s close of 1,590.75, after opening 7.92 points lower at 1,582.83.

Market breadth was flat, with 119 gainers and 117 losers, while 209 counters were unchanged, 2,177 untraded and 11 suspended.

Turnover was 68.44 million shares worth RM47.47 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said Wall Street ended mixed overnight, with all three major indices paring gains as investors awaited the CPI report.

He noted that the producer price index (PPI) slipped slightly in August, while the US 10-year Treasury yield eased marginally to 4.045 per cent.

“Additionally, traders are hopeful for a possible rate cut by China in view of its recently weak CPI data,” he said.

On the local front, Thong said the FBM KLCI had closed above the 1,590 level on Wednesday, its highest in two weeks.

“We believe foreign funds may have started nibbling on local equities, which is a positive sign. We expect the index to move within the 1,590-1,600 range today,” he added.

Among heavyweights, Maybank fell six sen to RM9.73, Public Bank slipped four sen to RM4.23, CelcomDigi eased two sen to RM3.64, while Petronas Gas and Press Metal shed four sen each to RM18.50 and RM5.58, respectively.

In active trade, VS Industry rose one sen to 55 sen, TWL and NexG were flat at three sen and 49 sen, respectively, while PA Resources eased half-a-sen to 15.5 sen.

Nestle was the top loser, retreating 50 sen to RM95.00. Petronas Dagangan fell 14 sen to RM21.86, while PIE Industrial and Panasonic dropped six sen each to RM2.86 and RM8.45, respectively.

Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 3.12 points to 11,773.04 and the FBM 70 Index gained 25.86 points to 16,449.19.

However, the FBM Emas Index shed 38.32 points to 11,748.13, the FBMT 100 Index lost 40.20 points to 11,511.26, and the FBM ACE Index declined 11.68 points to 4,716.42.

By sector, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.43 of-a-point to 163.65, the Plantation Index fell 3.44 points to 7,678.69, and the Financial Services Index dropped 168.78 points to 17,923.37. The Energy Index rose 4.06 points to 744.12. — BERNAMA

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AFTER a softer site addition of 2.5k in FY25, we expect the number to rebound in FY26 as Tenaga Nasional Bhd gradually clears its backlog. That said, the expiry of SMRT Holdings Bhd’s pioneer status in November 2025 introduces a binary risk that the market is already pricing in – a key factor behind the recent derating, which we believe could keep the stock range-bound until the “tax overhang” clears, with an outcome expected by January 2026. In parallel, SMRT is in the advanced stages of finalising two mergers and acquisition deals to broaden its product suite and deepen customer stickiness, while its Main Market transfer remains on track for mid-CY26. All in, we reiterate our Buy rating with a lower target price of RM1.72. – HLIB Research, a unit of Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (Sep 11, 2025)

(Calls by analysts tracked by Bloomberg: 1 Buy, 0 Hold, 0 Sell; Consensus target price: RM2.07)

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THE Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Oman have signed a joint programme for capital market development cooperation, aimed at strengthening strategic collaboration between the two authorities.

The agreement was signed by SC Chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi and FSA executive president Abdullah Salim Al-Salmi in Muscat.

The two-year programme will focus on joint capacity-building initiatives, knowledge exchange, and promoting Malaysia and Oman as attractive investment destinations.

Key areas of cooperation include cross-market promotion of investment opportunities, exploring a mutual recognition agreement for cross- or dual-listed products, staff secondments and training programmes, and knowledge sharing on capital market research, policy frameworks, and development strategies.

As part of the initiative, FSA Oman regulators will participate in the Young Regulators Development Programme, organised by the SC in collaboration with Durham University, UK.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to enhance knowledge exchange and promote each market’s unique investment proposition, ultimately driving sustainable growth across both conventional and Islamic capital markets,” said Mohammad Faiz Azmi.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Salim Al-Salmi highlighted the strategic significance of the partnership, saying it “serves as a bridge between ASEAN and GCC capital markets, expanding collaboration in areas such as capacity building, sustainable finance, and market innovation.”

During the visit, SC and Bursa Malaysia also engaged with key Omani and GCC stakeholders to showcase Malaysia as a destination for cross-border investment.

Bursa Malaysia CEO Datuk Fad’l Mohamed shared insights on the strengths of Malaysia’s capital market and highlighted opportunities in Islamic finance, wealth management, and family office solutions.

As of June 2025, Bursa Malaysia had 855 Shariah-compliant securities, representing 80.58% of total listed securities, spanning industrial products, consumer products, technology, and property sectors. — TMR

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KUALA LUMPUR — Bursa Malaysia ended trading on a positive note today, marking its third consecutive day of gains in line with other major Asian bourses.

The regional markets closed higher on optimism that signs of softness in the United States labour market could prompt the US Federal Reserve to deliver at least a quarter-point rate cut next week.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 3.94 points to 1,590.75 from Tuesday’s close of 1,586.81.

The index had opened 1.23 points firmer at 1,588.04 and moved between 1,585.21 and 1,590.80 throughout today’s trading session.

In the broader market, gainers beat decliners 518 to 487, while 506 counters were unchanged, with 1,082 untraded and eight suspended.

Turnover, however, trimmed to 2.66 billion units worth RM2.29 billion from 3.01 billion units worth RM2.61 billion yesterday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the benchmark index has managed to hold above key support levels and continues to display resilience after the August rally.

“This shows that buying interest is still present even though the pace has slowed slightly. The key breakout level to monitor is the 1,600 resistance whereby a decisive close above this level with stronger volume would validate fresh upside momentum and open the path towards the 1,620–1,650 zone,” he told Bernama.

He anticipates the FBM KLCI to trend within the range of 1,570-1,600 for the rest of the week.

Elsewhere, at the time of writing, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.01 per cent to 26,200.26, Singapore Strait Times Index advanced 1.23 per cent to 4,350.62, South Korea’s Kospi added 1.67 per cent to 3,314.53 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 perked up by 0.87 per cent to 43,837.67.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank was down seven sen to RM9.97, Public Bank increased one sen to RM4.30, CIMB gained five sen to RM7.21, Tenaga Nasional was eight sen higher to RM13.18, IHH Healthcare was 16 sen better at RM7.10 and Press Metal was up nine sen to RM5.62.

For active stocks, VS Industry erased 10 sen to 54 sen, Classita added one sen to 9.5 sen, Pharmaniaga perked up half-a-sen to 22 sen, Zetrix AI increased one sen to 86.5 sen, Tanco was 1.5 sen better at 80 sen and 99 Speedmart was down three sen to RM2.49.

Top gainers for the day were led by Riverview, earning 20 sen to RM3.00, LPI Capital was 18 sen higher at RM14.46 and Ranhill Utilities improved 13 sen to RM1.90.

Nestle and Malaysian Pacific Industries were the top losers, dropping 60 sen and 30 sen to RM95.50 and RM27.70 respectively.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index rose 13.61 points to 11,786.45, the FBMT 100 Index added 13.98 points to 11,551.46, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 23.86 points to 11,769.92.

The FBM 70 Index fell 45.03 points to 16,423.33, while the FBM ACE Index earned 7.26 points to 4,728.10.

By sector, the Financial Services Index lost 35.17 points to 18,092.15, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 1.15 points to 164.08, the Plantation Index edged up 13.35 points to 7,682.13, while the Energy Index slipped 0.33 of a point to 740.06.

The Main Market volume slipped to 1.46 billion units valued at RM2.04 billion from 1.49 billion units valued at RM2.29 billion on Tuesday.

Warrant turnover declined to 945.49 million units worth RM151.63 million from 1.20 billion units worth RM1.99 billion previously.

The ACE Market volume dropped to 257.12 million worth RM102.18 million from 317.83 million worth RM123.19 million.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 288.93 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (331.55 million), construction (109.01 million), technology (141.3 million), financial services (78.47 million), property (137.03 million), plantation (29.61 million), REITs (25.82 million), closed/fund (24,400), energy (93.46 million), healthcare (102.61 million), telecommunications and media (60.17 million), transportation and logistics (21.49 million), utilities (35.94 million), and business trusts (59,800). — BERNAMA

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EXPRESS Powerr Solutions (M) Bhd’s initial public offering (IPO) on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia has been oversubscribed by 13.55 times.

In a bourse filing today, the company said it received 8,338 applications for 679.95 million shares under the Malaysian public portion, compared to 46.72 million shares made available.

For the Bumiputera public portion, 4,097 applications were submitted for 255.13 million shares, reflecting an oversubscription rate of 9.92 times.

Meanwhile, the remaining public portion was oversubscribed by 17.18 times, with 4,241 applications for 424.82 million shares.

Express Powerr said the 18.69 million shares reserved for eligible persons were fully subscribed, while the 63.19 million shares offered via private placement to selected investors were fully placed out.

Separately, the 116.81 million shares allocated to Bumiputera investors approved by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) were also fully subscribed following the application of clawback and reallocation provisions.

Express Powerr, which rents out generators, has set its initial public offering (IPO) at 20 sen per share for its listing scheduled on Sept 24..

The share sale is expected to raise RM49.08 million, of which RM36 million will go to the company for expansion and RM13.08 million to the sole selling shareholder and managing director Lim Cheng Ten, according to the prospectus unveiled last month.

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BURSA MALAYSIA opened marginally higher on Wednesday, extending gains for a third straight session as it tracked Wall Street’s rally on hopes of a United States Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut, while investors awaited key inflation data due today and tomorrow.

At 9.06 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) edged up 0.77 of-a-point to 1,587.58 from Tuesday’s close of 1,586.81. 

The index had opened 1.23 points firmer at 1,588.04.

Market breadth was positive, with 168 gainers outpacing 99 decliners. Another 247 counters were unchanged, 2,079 untraded and seven suspended. 

Turnover stood at 104.41 million shares worth RM55.65 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said Wall Street ended higher with all three major indices closing at record highs on prospects of a Fed rate cut, while investors awaited crucial inflation data.

“Market sentiment was further lifted by regional strength after Citigroup upgraded the Hang Seng index,” he said.

Back home, Thong noted the FBM KLCI remained in positive territory despite Maxis and MISC trading ex-dividend, underscoring resilient market undertones.

“We believe the benchmark index will re-test the 1,600 level soon. For today, we expect it to hover between 1,585 and 1,600,” he added.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose two sen to RM10.06, Public Bank edged up one sen to RM4.30, Tenaga Nasional gained six sen to RM13.16, and IHH Healthcare was one sen higher at RM6.95, while CIMB was flat at RM7.16.

In active trade, Classita advanced one sen to 9.5 sen and its warrant added half-a-sen to 3.5 sen, NexG improved half-a-sen to 49 sen, OCK Group warrant slipped one sen to five sen and Cahya Mata Sarawak gained five sen to RM1.25.

Top gainers included United Plantations, which added 22 sen to RM22.56, UWC up 14 sen to RM3.04, Petronas Gas higher by 10 sen at RM18.70 and QL Resources up six sen to RM4.28.

On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index rose 8.10 points to 11,780.94, the FBMT 100 Index gained 7.81 points to 11,545.30 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 13.10 points to 11,759.16.

The FBM 70 Index climbed 20.73 points to 16,489.09, while the FBM ACE Index was 3.70 points higher at 4,724.54.

By sector, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.15 of-a-point to 165.08, the Plantation Index fell 8.56 points to 7,660.22 and the Financial Services Index slipped 0.95 of a point to 18,126.37. The Energy Index rose 2.05 points to 742.44. — BERNAMA

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THE banking sector has been upgraded to ‘Positive’ at MBSB Research as banks were able to provide clarity on the headwinds.

In a report released yesterday (Sept 9), it said the bottom line is asset quality is not a major issue, and that earnings outlook is preserved: there are plenty of means to offset net interest margin (NIM) compression and larger provisions’ impact on the bottom line.

“This stability and certainty, coupled with higher-than-normal dividend yields, make Malaysian banks a prime beneficiary for emerging market inflows – especially when headwinds are well priced in. Clarity and assurance on major headwinds provide us with a lot more confidence in the sector – as a result, we upgrade our call to Positive,” according to the unit of MBSB Investment Bank Bhd.

It has maintained ‘Buy’ calls on RHB Bank Bhd (52-week target price of RM7.21) and Hong Leong Bank Bhd (HLBB) with a target price of RM21.71.

On RHB Bank it noted its high dividend yields, with the possibility of higher-than-average dividend payout in FY25 as well as recoveries expected in multiple loans.

On HLBB, it noted its improved dividend payout and yields, and looks at it as a defensive pick with asset quality and provisioning remaining among the best. –TMR

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