Asiamoney - Malaysia Coverage

Malaysia

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Malaysia’s commodities platform highlights splits in Islamic opinion

18 Aug 2010 Islamic finance
Bursa Malaysia’s commodity trading platform is a year old, but it is still not compliant with the tenets of the religion according to one Saudi academic institution. The divergence of opinions and the platform’s rising success reveal the tensions between traditional Islamic thought and modern commercial concerns. Chris Wright reports.
ABN Amro bolsters Asia private banking team

07 Aug 2010 Market move, Private banking
The Dutch firm has appointed Jimmy Kee from Standard Chartered as its market manager for Singapore and Malaysia in what is a new role. It follows several key additions this year, including Mark Chan and Arjan de Boer.
Krishnan seeks power push on Tanjong bid

02 Aug 2010 M&A
Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan is expected to focus Tanjong into a purely power firm if his bid to buy out minority stakeholders is successful.
Opinion: China should join rate hike rage

12 Jul 2010 Nations & economies, Editorial
Countries across Asia are beginning to put up their interest rates as overheating and especially inflation become concerns. China is the only major exception, but signs of rising prices are becoming evident on the mainland. It should follow its neighbours.
Ringgit tipped to strengthen over privatisations

25 Jun 2010 Nations & economies, Foreign exchange
Kuala Lumpur is set to push forward with privatisations of some government-linked companies that will reduce the deficit and boost foreign investor flows in equities and bonds. This could strengthen the ringgit, says Barcap.
China renminbi revaluation to have limited FX impact

22 Jun 2010 Foreign exchange
Regional currencies enjoyed a boost after China said it would allow the renminbi to appreciate. But this rally is unlikely to last, with traders noting that global FX markets remain volatile and that the renminbi’s value may rise only a minimal amount in the coming year.
Renminbi revaluation will boost south-east Asia stocks

22 Jun 2010 Stock & exchange, Commodities
Commodities firms, some real estate companies and banks in south-east Asia should benefit from the rise in the renminbi’s value, says Citi.
Asia financial services M&A set to soar, says PwC

17 Jun 2010 M&A
A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that mergers and acquisitions activity in Asia’s financial services industry will rise as international companies are lured by the region’s growth and regional players seek to expand.
A week in Asia’s business news

17 Jun 2010 Market wrap
Australia’s three largest miners unify to condemn new mining tax, while Hong Kong’s most expensive property sale falls through. Agricultural Bank of China’s IPO gains sovereign wealth backing, and the Chinese bank also ties up an alliance with Standard Chartered.
Opinion: Malaysian five-year plan needs political will

15 Jun 2010 Nations & economies
The administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak has said all the right things about improving the country’s fiscal situation and making it more competitive. But its ability to follow words with actions is far from proven.
Malaysia’s sukuk offers a false dawn for issuance

03 Jun 2010 Bonds, Islamic finance
The country sold a successful US$1.25 billion Islamic bond issue last week, and sovereign wealth fund Khazanah wants to follow with a Singapore dollar deal. But these issues are unlikely to herald a surge in new sukuks from the country or region.
Turgid sentiment leaves major deal outlook uncertain

31 May 2010 M&A, Stock & exchange, Bonds, League table
The ongoing fears of European sovereign debt problems led equity and bond deal volumes to collapse and could lead to major deals being postponed until 2011. However M&A markets stayed buoyant. Asiamoney.com rounds up last week’s capital markets.
Best domestic bank awards: Malaysia

31 May 2010 Stock & exchange, Bonds, Polls & awards
ASIAMONEY is pleased to reveal our best domestic bank awards for Malaysia. CIMB makes a clean sweep of the three categories for the second year running. The banking group impresses for its depth of professionalism and international ambitions.
A week in Asia's business news

27 May 2010 Market wrap
China’s president tells the US he favours gradual renminbi currency reform, Prudential’s bid for AIA falls under criticism, Indian billionaire brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani sign a peace deal, and Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek appoints Hsieh Fu Hua as its new president.
Investors flee to CDSs amid volatility

25 May 2010 Bonds
As volatility increases, Asian investors are increasingly turning to single name and index credit default swaps (CDSs) to hedge their risk. With no certainty in sight, one observer believes that the region’s credit markets are likely to trade in a narrow range over the coming week.
Emerging Asia stocks to drop 15%: Credit Suisse

24 May 2010 Stock & exchange
Analysts at the Swiss bank believe stocks in emerging Asia still have to drop a further 15% before investors resume buying again. May is also lining up to become the region’s second biggest month for net foreign selling on record.
UBS dominates Private Banking Poll 2010

17 May 2010 Polls & awards, Private banking
The Swiss bank takes top honours for all three main categories of Asiamoney’s largest Private Banking Poll. Deutsche, BNP Paribas, Maybank and Citi also did well.
European troubles unlikely to derail Asian recovery

13 May 2010 Nations & economies
The sovereign debt crisis in the European Union is unlikely to materially slow Asia's economies because rising intra-regional trade will help support growth, predicts HSBC. The problems could encourage some central bankers to keep monetary policy loose.
FTSE and Renaissance launch Asian IPO indices

13 May 2010 Stock & exchange, Asset management
The index company has teamed up with Renaissance Capital to launch two indices that focus on IPO performance in Asia. The creators believe they will lead to new exchange-traded funds, structured products and be used as benchmarks by funds.
Appeal of ‘green’ buildings growing in Asia: report

19 Apr 2010 Commodities, Energy
The construction of environmentally friendly commercial buildings and the retrofitting of existing towers is gaining interest in Asia, finds a report by the World Resources Institute and HSBC. The practice is being promoted as a money-saver.
A week in Asia’s business news

01 Apr 2010 Market wrap
Two Australian resources consolidation attempts fail, and a major Chinese pension fund looks to invest internationally. Japan sees its largest IPO in years as a life insurance company lists and South Korea is poised to see a similarly gigantic issue from the same sector.
Splash sends ripples with Malaysia M&A offer

30 Mar 2010 M&A, Stock & exchange, Bonds
The Malaysian company’s purchase of water concessions in its home nation anchored M&A transactions last week. However, equity and debt deal volumes declined compared to the week before. Asiamoney.com rounds up the week’s capital markets.
Foreigners raise volatility when buying local bonds

25 Mar 2010 Bonds
International investors have been buying Asian bonds to take advantage of appealing returns, but the small nature of these markets means that liquidity risks are rising as a result, says the Asian Development Bank.
Malaysia must persuade investors of policy reforms

24 Mar 2010 Nations & economies
Kuala Lumpur’s plan to reform its racial policies and introduce more market friendly procedures are good moves, but foreign and domestic investors remain sceptical of its sincerity, says analysts.
Rio Tinto and Chinalco embark on a new JV

22 Mar 2010 M&A, Stock & exchange, Bonds
Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto and Aluminum Corp. of China agreed to a joint-venture less than a year after a previous tie-up fell through. Asiamoney.com rounds up the key capital market activity across the region.
State Grid of China bond behemoth heads busy markets

09 Feb 2010
The mainland electricity grid operator conducted the second-largest bond issue from Asia-Pacific ex-Japan, and was joined by several notable international bonds. Asiamoney.com rounds up last week’s key regional capital market activity.
Country deals of the year: Malaysia

29 Jan 2010 Stock & exchange, Polls & awards
The US$3.3 billion IPO of Maxis Communications is likely to have far-reaching positive consequences for Malaysia's capital markets, and as such it wins Asiamoney's award as the country's best deal of the past year.