Friday, 13 April 2012

OSK188 - 13 April 2012: DAILY RESEARCH REPORT


On The Platter
TSH (FV RM2.65-BUY) Company Update: The Indonesian Dream
TSH Resources (TSH) joined us in hitting the road in Singapore recently to meet 9 institutional funds. FFB production growth was spectacular last year, surging by m ore than  40% y-o-y, with its young Indonesian estates being the key growth driver. Management is looking to quicken the pace of new planting over the next few years and also shed light on why the company is further expanding in Kalimantan. TSH continues to have one of the best tree age profiles, with 75.0% of its trees below peak. Maintain BUY, with FV of RM2.65.

KURASIA (FV RM0.82-TRADING BUY) Corporate News Flash: KIMB Sold!

AMMB (FV RM6.20– NEUTRAL) Corporate News Flash: Kurnia Joins The Stable

TNB (FV RM7.68-BUY) 1HFY12 Results Review: A Brighter Future


Market Review
Powers ahead. The  FBM KLCI closed at 1,601.27, up 4.1 pts  with buying interest  on selected blue chips. However, decliners led advancers 366 to 360 while 321 counters were traded unchanged and 481 were untraded. Among the key market news today are, AmG Insurance inks deal to buy entire Kurnia stake for RM1.55bn, TNB back in the black with 1Q net profit of RM2.8bn, Malayan United Industries to dispose  of  insurance operations to Tokio Marine, CIMB and RBS sign cooperation agreement, Johor Corp to raise RM3bn via issuance of Islamic bonds, Kim Hin Industry buys Aussie building for RM28m and Kejuruteraan Samudra in rig-lease deal. Meanwhile, Axis REIT buys industrial assets  for RM26.5m and  fire in K-One Technology may cost the company RM13m. On the global front, US stocks rallied as investors entertained thoughts of further stimulus from global central banks, and embraced lower borrowing costs in Europe and the assumption that China’s economy is headed for a soft landing. We expect  the local bourse to be well-supported by the higher Dow that rose 181.1 pts, or 1.4%, to 12,986.5.


MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
US: Stocks post biggest two-day rally in 2012 on Fed comment
US stocks rose, giving the S&P’s 500 Index its biggest two-day rally in 2012, on policymakers’ signals that interest rates will remain low. Commodity shares gained the most among 10 S&P 500 groups. The Dow Jones Transportation Average, a proxy for the economy, added 2.2%. Hewlett-Packard Co. surged 7.2%, the biggest advance since 2009, after Gartner Inc. said the global personal-computer industry grew in the first quarter as the company remained a market leader. Google Inc. added 1.8% as profit beat estimates. The S&P 500 advanced 1.4% to 1,387.57 rising 2.1% in two days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 181.19 points to 12,986.58. About 6.3 billion shares changed hands on US exchanges yesterday. (Bloomberg)

Putrajaya backs JCorp debt refinancing
The Federal Government has thrown debt-laden Johor Corp (JCorp) a financial lifeline by guaranteeing a fundraising exercise that will help the state agency meet its immediate debt obligations. JCorp, the strategic investment are of Johor, announced that it planned to issue a sukuk wakalah Islamic finance instrument worth RM3bn to be directed at redeeming the state-owned corporation’s outstanding bonds worth RM3.2bn maturing at end-July. The guarantee, approved by the Cabinet, represents a major department from the Government’s treatment of loans by state agencies. (Financial Daily)

AmG buys Kurnia for RM1.5bn
AmG Insurance, the general insurance arm of AMMB Holdings, has wholly acquired Kurnia Insurans for RM1.5bn cash, making it the country's number one general and motor insurance firm. In a statement yesterday, AMMB directors said the purchase would elevate the company into becoming Malaysia's largest general insurer with over RM1.7bn in gross written premium. AMMB and AmG chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said the acquisition would enable AmG to achieve its objective of being among the top three domestic general insurers. "The combined businesses of AmG and Kurnia will see it emerge as the largest domestic general insurer and the market leader in motor insurance," said Azman. He added that this acquisition complemented AmBank Group's medium-term aspiration and strategic priorities of growing income from profitable segments.  (BT) Please see accompanying report.

MUI to dispose of insurance ops to Tokio Marine
Malayan United Industries (MUI) has proposed to sell the insurance assets and liabilities of MUI  Continental Insurance Bhd (MCI) to Tokio Marine Insurans for a premium of RM180.23m. MUI told Bursa Malaysia that it had applied to Bank Negara for its approval of the proposed sale on 10 April. MCI is a 52.2% owned subsidiary of Novimax SB, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MUI. “The value of the insurance assets to be transferred to Tokio Marine shall be equal to the value of the insurance liabilities assumed by Tokio Marine as at the transfer date, to be determined,” said MUI. (StarBiz)

CIMB and RBS sign cooperation agreement
CIMB Group and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have entered into a cooperation agreement which covers potential collaboration in capital markets activities, mergers and acquisitions, equities, derivatives, loan markets, trade advisory and trade financing solutions, cash management services and agent or custodian bank arrangements. “We're extremely pleased to be able to do this so quickly after announcing our acquisition of RBS' investment banking and cash equities businesses in Asia-Pacific last week. This will provide a framework for our ex-RBS team to continue to work together with their ex-colleagues in areas of mutual interest between RBS and CIMB,” said CIMB Group CEO Datuk Seri Nazir Razak. The deal would see CIMB emerge as the largest investment banking franchise in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan. Nazir said the cooperation agreement would allow both CIMB Group and RBS Group to leverage off each other in key Asia-Pacific markets. (StarBiz)                           

TNB back in the black
Tenaga Nasional (TNB) has posted its first quarterly profit after three consecutive quarters in the red. For its 2Q ended 29 Feb, the national utility recorded a net profit of RM2.82bn, almost 340% higher y-o-y. This was largely because of a RM2.02bn compensation paid to it by the Government and Petronas under a cost-sharing mechanism agreed to last year, following a shortfall in gas supply which crippled TNB's electricity generation and forced it to spend RM2.1bn to burn costly oil and distillates. It has also approved an interim dividend of 5.09 sen per ordinary share less income tax of 25%. (StarBiz) Please see accompanying report

TM proposes final dividend of 9.8 sen
Telekom Malaysia (TM) is proposing a final single-tier dividend of 9.8 sen per share for the financial year ended 31 Dec 2011. The company said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia that the dividend would go ex on 22 May. The entitlement date would be 24 May subject to shareholders’ approval in the upcoming AGM on  8 May, it added (StarBiz)

Axis REIT buys industrial assets
Axis Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is proposing to acquire two leasehold industrial properties near Nilai, Negri Sembilan, from LRS Property SB for RM26.5m. The REIT manager said in an announcement to the stock exchange that the proposed acquisition would be paid for in cash and that the properties were tenanted with various term leases. (StarBiz


ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
Indonesia: Extends pause in rate cuts
Indonesia’s central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a second month as inflation risks persist even after the government was forced to postpone an increase in subsidized fuel prices. Bank Indonesia kept the reference rate at 5.75%. Inflation in March rose for the first time in seven months, and lawmakers have rejected an immediate fuel-cost increase while giving the government power to act if Indonesian crude exceeds the budget assumption of $105 a barrel by 15% over six months. (Bloomberg)

Australia: Employers added more workers than forecast
Australian payrolls rose more than economists forecast in March, capping the best quarter since 2010, led by financial and manufacturing states Victoria and New South Wales. Payrolls rose by 44,000, almost seven times the median estimate for a 6,500 increase in a Bloomberg News survey of 24 economists. The jobless rate stayed at 5.2%, compared with expectations for a rise to 5.3%. (Bloomberg)

India: Factory output rises 4.1%
India reported a smaller-than-expected expansion in February industrial production and sprang a surprise by sharply slashing the previously reported January data, reviving worries that an economic upturn may not happen anytime soon. Industrial output rose 4.1% from a year earlier in February, missing the 6.6% median estimate in a poll of 15 economists, as manufacturing growth remained weak. For January, it revised the output growth number to 1.1% from 6.8%, blaming inflated sugar production data in the previous print. (Bloomberg)

China: New yuan bank loans surge, point to easing
China's new yuan loans were the most in a year and money-supply growth quickened after Premier Wen Jiabao moved to bolster the economy by cutting banks' required reserves and helping smaller businesses get financing. Local-currency-denominated loans were CNY1.01tn in March, up from CNY710.7bn in February. M2, the broadest measure of money supply, grew 13.4% from a year earlier. Its foreign exchange reserves, the world's largest, rose to a record USD3.31tn as of 31 March after dropping for the first time in more than a decade in the fourth quarter. (Bloomberg)

EU: Euro-area industrial output unexpectedly increased in February
European industrial production unexpectedly rose in February, led by France and Netherlands, adding to signs of economic stabilization after a fourth-quarter contraction. Production in the 17-nation euro area increased 0.5% from January, when it remained unchanged. From a year earlier, production decreased 1.8%. (Bloomberg)

UK: Trade gap widened as car exports to US and China dropped
UK trade deficit widened to the most in three months in February as exports of cars and heavy machinery fell, especially to the US, China and Russia. The goods-trade gap widened to GBP8.77bn from a revised GBP7.88bn in January. Exports fell 3.4 percent while imports were unchanged. (Bloomberg)

US: Trade gap narrows sharply in February to USD46bn
US trade deficit narrowed unexpectedly in February as exports hit a record high, imports from China and other key suppliers declined and oil import volume fell to the lowest in 15 years. The monthly trade gap shrank 12.4% to USD46.0bn, the biggest month-to-month decline since May 2009. Exports edged slightly higher to a record USD181.2bn, led by record exports of services and capital goods, such as civilian aircraft and industrial machines while imports dropped 2.7% to USD227.2bn, the biggest monthly drop in three years. (Bloomberg)

US: Unemployment claims rose to two-month high
More Americans than forecast filed applications for jobless benefits last week, reinforcing concern among Federal Reserve policy makers that the labour-market recovery will be slow to develop. Unemployment claims increased 13,000 in the week ended 7 April to 380,000, the highest since 28 Jan. (Bloomberg)

Source: OSK188 

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