Stocks to watch: MRCB, Yinson, BCorp, Hiap Teck, KNM

KUALA LUMPUR: With the FBM KLCI closing at a historic high of 1,575.01 on Wednesday, June 29, aided by a late nudge of selected index-linked stocks, investors would want to watch if the index can extend the gains.

With the second quarter coming to a close on Thursday, 30, perhaps it is possible to see mild gains due to window dressing.

The strong overnight close on Wall Street will provide the provide the impetus for investors to pick up more equities.

Wall Street closed its best three-day run in three months on Wednesday after the Greek parliament approved austerity measures to avoid defaulting on its debt.

Optimism about the plan's approval has helped the stock market recoup some of its losses of the last two months. The CBOE Volatility Index .VIX, Wall Street's "fear gauge," fell 9.9 percent to 17.27, its third straight decline.

Greek lawmakers approved a five-year package of spending cuts, tax increases and state asset sales by a comfortable margin of 155 votes to 138 in a roll-call vote, handing a significant victory to embattled Prime Minister George Papandreou.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 72.73 points, or 0.60 percent, to 12,261.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 10.74 points, or 0.83 percent, to 1,307.41. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 11.18 points, or 0.41 percent, to 2,740.49.

However, investors may have to brace for some profit taking before the KLCI can build a stronger base to scale higher over the shorter to medium term.

Stocks to watch on Bursa Malaysia include MALAYSIAN RESOURCES CORP [] Bhd (MRCB), YINSON HOLDINGS BHD [], Berjaya Corp Bhd, HIAP TECK VENTURE BHD [] and KNM GROUP BHD [].

MRCB is collaborating up with the Korean Teachers’ Credit Union (KTCU) to collaborate in potential future projects.

KTCU is a Korean government guaranteed welfare agency with about US$17 billion of assets under its management and nine affiliated business organisations.

KTCU is an investor of two real estate funds established by HanaDaol for two projects in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, which are Tower 2 Lot G and Q Sentral, with a total investment value of RM660 million.

Yinson and its partner Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation have secured a US$331.15 million (RM1.01 billion) to provide a floating storage and off-loading (FSO).

The total contract value of RM1.01 billion was for 20 years, of which RM626.81 million was for the firm period of 10 years and the remaining RM383.20 million was for options to extend for another 10 years in four different periods.

Yinson will have a 49% stake in JV and PTSC 51%. Yison’s cash injection in the JV is expected to be RM55.125 million.

To finance it, part of it would be from a renounceable two-call rights issue of up to 131.85 million rights shares on the basis of three rights shares for every two existing shares held.

Yinson's net profit of RM7.14 million for the quarter ended April 30 versus RM4.67 million a year ago. Revenue was higher at RM196.80 million compared with RM184.31 million.

However, Yinson has only cash and bank balances of RM4.74 million as at April 30, 2011 while receivables are RM260.23 million. Short-term borrowings, categorised under current liabilities, are RM138.88 million.

Berjaya Corporation’s fourth quarter earnings fell 27.9% to RM103.61 million in the period ended April 30 from RM143.85 million, partly due to the impairment in value and losses from sale of investments.

Revenue was RM1.87 billion compared with RM1.89 billion while earnings per share were 2.37 sen compared with 3.39 sen. Its pre-tax profit of RM261.61 million was a decrease of 12.2% from RM298.06 million a year ago. It proposed a 2% single-tier exempt dividend per share.

For the financial year ended April 30, 2011, the net profit was RM348.08 million compared with RM79.99 million in FY10 while revenue was higher at RM7.11 billion compared with RM6.75 billion a year ago.

Hiap Teck’s net profit slumped 67.8% to RM5.42 million in the third quarter ended April 30, 2011 from RM16.87 million a year ago but the steel maker expected domestic steel demand to pick up.

Revenue declined 18.3% to RM236.45 million from RM289.62 million while earnings per share were 1.69 sen compared with 5.24 sen. Hiap Teck said pre-tax profit of RM8.20 million was 64% lower than the RM22.56 million a year ago.

KNM Group Bhd is tendering for about RM17 billion worth of contracts as at end-May and expects a success rate of about 20%.

Group managing director Lee Swee Eng said he was also positive on the outlook in the second half as the contracts secured last year were now being realised.

"For our tender book, the success rate before 2008 was in the range of 25% to 30%. But since the last two years due to the competitive market, we have seen our success rate at 20%. So assuming that you can get 20% of RM17 billion, maybe we have a prospect of RM3.4 billion of new orders," he said.