Malaysia Morning News For February 15

Malaysian palm oil price snaps winning streak to fall over 1%
Malaysian palm oil futures on Tuesday snapped four days of gains, as the market corrected lower after a rally ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, traders said.
— The Star Online

China and Malaysia joint shrimp venture to create 1,000 jobs
An aquaculture project between a Chinese chemical firm and a Malaysian property cooperative is set to make Langkawi — an archipelago off the Malaysian state of Kedah — a major producer of South American white shrimp.
— Food Navigator

Malaysia GDP rose 5.9% in 2017
The Central Bank of Malaysia reported that the country’s GDP increased from 4.2% in 2016 to 5.9% last year.
— Singapore Business Review

Revenue risks for Malaysia Airports
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) share price fell 72 sen or 7.89% to close at RM8.40, erasing RM1.19bil in market capitalisation from its Feb 12 close, as investors expect new regulations to negatively impact the airport operator financially.
— The Star Online

Banks to continue leveraging on digital trend: Randstad
Malaysian financial institutions are capitalising on digital trends and increasing customer acceptance to introduce a myriad of new and creative online distribution channels.
— New Straits Times

Life insurance coverage in Malaysia rises to RM1.38 tril in 2017
The life insurance industry saw insurance coverage rise 6% to RM1.38 trillion in 2017, from RM1.3 trillion a year ago, reflecting a continued rise in awareness about the importance of insurance protection.
— The Edge Markets

Balance of payments record deficit of RM13.1b in Q4
Malaysia’s overall balance of payments (BoP) in the fourth quarter of 2017 registered a deficit of RM13.1bil in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared with a surplus of RM2.9bil in the third quarter.
— The Star Online

Bank Negara: Emerging economies should consider new, untested strategies
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will continue to introduce new policies to preserve macroeconomic and financial stability, as new risks from external spillovers emerge.
— The Sun Daily

Banks says enough new and fit banknotes for CNY
The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) says its member banks have received adequate supply of banknotes for the Chinese New Year which comprise a mixture of new and fit notes.
— The Star Online

Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor enters EMS industry with RM250m purchase of CPI (Penang)
Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd is buying CPI (Penang) Sdn Bhd for RM250 million cash, gaining entry into the electronic manufacturing services (EMS) industry.
— The Sun Daily

Serba Dinamik bags RM830.9m contracts
Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd’s subsidiaries, Serba Dinamik Sdn Bhd (SDSB) and Serba Dinamik International Ltd (SDIL) have secured a total of seven contracts worth about RM830.9 million.
— New Straits Times

Heineken optimistic for 2018, proposes final dividend of 50 sen
Heineken Malaysia Bhd which has a cautiously optimistic outlook for 2018, will continue to invest in automation to improve efficiency.
— The Sun Daily

Catcha’s Patrick Grove predicts SE Asia will get its first decacorn in next 2 years
2017 ended with a bang: Uber closed a major deal with Softbank. Fake news dominated social media. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies went mainstream. Initial Coin Offerings surpassed early-stage venture capital funding for internet companies.
— DealStreetAsia

Supermax’s Q2 net profit rose 59.06pc to RM35.90m
Supermax Corp Bhd’s net profit in the second quarter (Q2) ended December 31, 2017, rose 59.06 per cent to RM35.90 million from RM22.57 million in the same period a year ago, driven by higher production capacity and improved operational efficiency.
— New Straits Times

CIMB IB Research raises target price for Dialog to RM3.15
CIMB IB Research has maintained its “Add” rating on Dialog Group Bhd at RM2.66 with a higher target price of RM3.15 (from RM3.13) and said Dialog’s 1HFY6/18 core net profit of RM201m outperformed our forecast as it represented 60% of house previous full-year forecast (in line at 50% of consensus).
— The Edge Markets

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Malaysia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Malaysia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.