RHBInvest Research

Top Story: Shifting Trends – Currency plays

Market Update

In RHBRI’s Economic Highlights yesterday, we highlighted our view that the RM/USD exchange rate could strengthen further in the near term to RM2.90. We now look at the impact on sectors and companies.

Sector Call

Motor: Beneficiary of a Stronger RM Neutral

Sector Update

MBM Resources: Fair value raised to RM3.45 (from RM3.25) Market Perform

Tan Chong: Fair value raised to RM5.40 (from RM5.20) Market Perform

UMW: Fair value raised to RM7.60 (from RM7.50) Market Perform

APM: Fair value raised to RM5.60 (from RM5.50) Market Perform

Proton: Fair value lowered to RM3.55 (from RM4.00) Underperform

Corporate Highlights

TH Plantations: Weathering the storm Outperform

Visit Note

As with most of the other plantation companies with significant landbank in Sabah, THP’s FFB production suffered in 1QFY11, due to the excessive La Nina induced rainfall, which made harvesting activities difficult. So far, the rain has been less heavy in Apr, and management is hopeful that the weather will improve. Despite this, we are wary of a delayed impact of the wet weather on FFB yields, which could potentially come 5-6 months and 10-12 months later,



MPI: To pick-up in the long term Market Perform

Briefing Note

Management guided for 4QFY11 revenue to remain flat qoq as sales volume for its legacy packages remain tepid but offset by strong demand for its newer chip packages. We note that utilisation for micro-leadframe-packages (MLP), module packages and test is fully utilised around 90% but its overall utilisation rates was dragged down to around 85% due to slower demand for legacy packages i.e. PDIP



Unisem: Weaker than expected 1Q Outperform

1QFY11 Results

1QFY11 net profit of RM5m was below expectations. The key variance was mainly due to: 1) lower-than-expected EBITDA margins of 14.3% due to lower contribution from SiP, MEMS and BGA packages; 2) strengthening of RM against the US$ and 3) losses in Batam and Wales.