Stocks to watch: QSR, KFCH, Kencana, MAS

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 15): QSR BRANDS BHD [] and KFC HOLDINGS (M) BHD [] (KFCH) will be in focus on Thursday when their securities resume trading.

Johor Corporation and CVC Capital Partners Asia III Ltd have teamed up to take over QSR and KFCH.

They offered RM6.80 for the QSR shares and RM3.79 for the warrants.
At RM6.80, this is 80 sen above the closing price of RM6 on Tuesday
while the offer price for the warrants was a premium of 77 sen from the
closing price of RM3.02.

They also made an offer to KFCH of RM4 per share and RM1 per warrant.
At RM4, this was 59 sen above the closing price of RM3.41 on Tuesday
but five sen below the closing price of RM1.05.

KENCANA PETROLEUM BHD []’s
earnings rose 59.5% to RM83.54 million from RM52.35 million a year
ago, underpinned by the full contribution from Allied Marine &
Equipment Sdn Bhd. Its revenue increased by 69% to RM569.92 million from
RM336.96 million while earnings per share were 4.2 sen compared with
3.16 sen.

Loss-making MALAYSIAN AIRLINE SYSTEM BHD [] (MAS) will axe eight loss-making routes under its route rationalisation exercise which will take effect early 2012.

The withdrawal from the loss-making routes accounted for almost 12% of its passenger capacity.

“We estimate that the ongoing route rationalisation will improve
loads, increase yields and have a profit impact of RM220 million to
RM302 million for 2012,” said MAS group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.