Morning Coffee - 30 Aug 2012

MARKET ROUNDUP (Source Bloomberg)

U.S. Stocks Rise On GDP Data As Investors Await Bernanke: The S&P 500 added 0.1 percent to 1,410.49 at 4 p.m. New York time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.49 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 13,107.48. Volume for
exchange-listed stocks in the U.S. was 4.4 billion shares, the lowest level since at least 2008 excluding days surrounding holidays.

European Stocks Fall For Second Day; L’Oreal Leads Slide: as companies from L’Oreal SA to Bouygues (EN) SA retreated after reporting earnings and German Chancellor Angela Merkel clashed with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti over whether to give the euro area’s permanent bailout fund a bank license. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index slid 0.6 percent and France’s CAC 40 Index declined 0.5 percent.Germany’s DAX Index rose 0.1 percent.

Oil Declines For A Second Day As Stockpiles Rise, Storm Weakens: after stockpiles unexpectedly rose and Hurricane Isaac weakened after making landfall, reducing the threat to offshore platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil for October delivery slid as much as 34 cents to $95.15 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $95.24 at 9:06 a.m. Sydney time. The contract yesterday dropped 84 cents to $95.49, the lowest close since Aug. 27. Prices are 8.2 percent higher this month and 3.6 percent lower
this year.


CORPORATE NEWS

Puncak Niaga's Q2 net profit soars to RM78.4m: the increase in revenue was mainly due to higher water tariff compensation arising from the scheduled tariff hike, which should have been gazetted on January 1 this year, as well as revenue contribution from the oil and gas segment.

Sime Darby net profit soars to RM4.2b: Sime’s heavy machinery division experienced brisk business when it sold more mining equipment in Australia. This division chalked up RM1.4 billion in pre-tax profit, 27 per cent higher than previously, as it included maiden contribution from the newly-acquired Bucyrus
business. The plantation business, which typically makes up more than half of the group’s annual profits, saw a slight dip.

Btimes

Genting Q2 profit lower: as a result of a decline in casino business and weaker plantations performance. Higher revenue was recorded from the leisure and hospitality and property divisions.

LBS Bina Q2 net profit jumps 30.6%: the improved revenue for the current quarter and period to date were due to progressive recognition of revenue and profit contribution from its on-going projects.

StarbIz


Source:Jupiter Securities Research 30 August 2012