<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>SINGAPORE (Feb 2): Frasers Hospitality Trust (FHT) has seen higher revenues per available room (RevPARs) across all of its country portfolios in the 1QFY2024 ended Dec 31, 2023, except for Singapore and the UK.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>In its business update for the 1QFY2024, the REIT noted the continued resilience of tourist demand, with continued sustained recovery for its markets.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Singapore’s portfolio RevPAR fell by 16.6% year-on-year and 25.7% quarter-on-quarter. The portfolio also saw<a href="https://www.theedgesingapore.com/capital/results/fht-reports-higher-revpars-all-countries-1qfy2024-except-singapore-and-uk" target="_blank">...(click on link for full story on theedgesingapore.com)</a></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

SINGAPORE (Feb 2): Frasers Hospitality Trust (FHT) has seen higher revenues per available room (RevPARs) across all of its country portfolios in the 1QFY2024 ended Dec 31, 2023, except for Singapore and the UK.

Frasers Hospitality Trust’s 1Q revenues per available room rise in all countries, except Singapore and UK

DBS Group Holdings Ltd was hit by renewed disruptions to its Internet banking and payment services in Singapore on Thursday, days after a six-month ban by the island’s central bank over similar glitches ended.

Singapore DBS’ digital services hit days after MAS ban ends

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits held steady at lower levels last week as the labour market remains fairly tight.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 208,000 for the week ended April 27, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

US weekly jobless claims unchanged; layoffs decline in April

EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

In today’s edition of Evening 5: 00:00 Microsoft to invest US$2.2 bil in M’sia over four years 02:09 Lotte Chem Titan posts eighth straight quarterly loss 03:51 Westports’ 1Q earnings improve by 11% 05:20 Protasco gets offer from HK firm for its education biz 06:45 Feytech’s Main Market listing to raise over RM201 mil

EVENING 5: Microsoft to invest US$2.2 bil in M’sia over the next four years

Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC), which is 64.99%-indirectly owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), has secured a contract worth RM43.6 million from the Ministry of Defence for the in-service support for its Royal Malaysian Navy Prime Minister Class submarines.

BHIC secures RM43 mil contract for navy submarine in-service support

Loss-making Annum Bhd said on Thursday it has received a show-cause notice from Bursa Malaysia over the company's failure to issue its annual report for the financial period ended June 30, 2023 (FY2023), which was due on Oct 31, 2023.

Annum still fails to issue annual report after finding auditor following 31 rejections, hit by Bursa show-cause notice

Qualcomm shares rose 4% in premarket trading on Thursday after the smartphone-focused chipmaker signaled an AI-fueled rebound in demand, especially in China, after a two-year slump.

Sales to Chinese smartphone makers jumped 40% in the first half of its fiscal year, the company said on Wednesday, as buyers there gravitate toward higher-priced devices that can accommodate AI chatbots.

Qualcomm jumps as AI sparks rebound in Chinese smartphone market

Sarawak Cable Bhd (SCB) has once again obtained a time extension to submit its Practice Note 17 (PN17) regularisation plan from Bursa Malaysia.

The deadline has now been extended by another six months to Sept 30 from March 31, its bourse filing on Thursday showed. The original deadline was Nov 1, 2023.

Sarawak Cable gets another time extension to submit PN17 exit plan

Construction outfit and bus operator Epicon Bhd will exit Practice Note 17 (PN17) status on Friday following the completion of its regularisation plan.

Epicon, formerly Konsortium Transnasional, exits PN17 status

Hong Kong's securities regulator started an insider dealing prosecution against hedge fund Segantii Capital Management, its founder and a former trader, the watchdog said on Thursday.

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said it had started criminal proceedings against Segantii, its founder and chief investment officer Simon Sadler, and former trader Daniel La Rocca for insider dealing in the shares of a Hong Kong-listed company prior to a block trade in June 2017.

Insider dealing charges brought against Segantii and its founder in Hong Kong

US software giant Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it would invest US$2.2 billion (RM10.5 billion) over the next four years in cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Malaysia.

Microsoft to invest US$2.2 bil in Malaysia over next four years on cloud, AI

Protasco Bhd, which has businesses ranging from hotel to engineering, said on Thursday it has received an offer to buy its unit Ikram Education Sdn Bhd which owns the Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL).

Protasco gets offer from HK firm to buy its university unit

Luno, a digital asset exchange (DAX) licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia, expands its coin offerings with the launch of Cosmos (ATOM) and Polkadot (DOT).

Luno launches two new digital assets

Feytech Holdings Bhd's initial public offer (IPO) on Main Market of Bursa Malaysia is offering&nbsp;252.94 million shares at 80 sen apiece.&nbsp;

Feytech's Main Market IPO to raise over RM201m

Subang Airport, officially known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, will likely be able to handle jet aircraft by the third quarter this year, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Subang Airport’s jet ops likely to start in 3Q, also eyes business jets — Loke

Shares of Bursa Malaysia Bhd climbed to its highest in more than three years after the stock exchange operator reported better-than-expected results that prompted at least two analyst upgrades.

Bursa Malaysia climbs to over three-year high after above-view 1Q

The additional investment by Microsoft amounting to US$2.2 billion or RM10.5 billion in the country over the next four years is the largest single investment by the company in its 32 years in Malaysia.

Microsoft’s new US$2.2b outlay is company’s largest single investment in Malaysia, says Anwar

Smart Asia Chemical Bhd, an industrial paint and coating manufacturer, on Thursday has begun taking orders from investors for its ACE Market initial public offering (IPO) that would raise up to RM37.4 million.&nbsp;

Smart Asia Chemical starts taking orders for ACE Market IPO to raise RM37.4 mil

The High Court on Thursday dismissed Tengku Datuk Zafrul Abdul Aziz's application to file an affidavit with regards to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's judicial review application to unearth an addendum to his pardon order that detailed he was to spend the remainder of his sentence under "house arrest".

Court rejects Zafrul’s bid to file affidavit on Najib’s ‘house arrest’ order

Shares of Duopharma Biotech Bhd surged more than 9% during early trade on Thursday following news of the pharmaceutical company securing supply contracts worth RM578.09 million in total.

Duopharma Biotech surges over 9% after RM578m contract news

Shares of Ge-Shen Corp Bhd rose as much as 14.91% to a new record high of RM4.47 on Thursday, following the emergence of Chin Hin Group’s Chiau family as its second largest shareholder.

Ge-Shen shares hit new high on emergence of new substantial shareholder

Mechanical and electrical engineering services provider Pasukhas Group Bhd has secured a RM56.98 million contract to build a data centre in Selangor.

Pasukhas secures RM57m contract from US company to build data centre in Selangor 

Yinson Production, the offshore production business unit of Yinson Holdings Bhd, has closed the limited recourse term loan facility of up to US$1.3 billion (RM6.2 billion) for the pre- and post-delivery financing of the Agogo floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which will be deployed in Angola.

Yinson unit secures single largest term loan of US$1.3b to finance Agogo FPSO delivery

US President Joe Biden included ally Japan along with rivals China and Russia in a list of countries he called “xenophobic” in a speech at a campaign fundraising event in Washington.

Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with China, Russia

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving to prevent Huawei, ZTE and other foreign companies deemed to pose US national security concerns from certifying wireless equipment, officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

US moves to bar Huawei, other Chinese telecoms from certifying wireless equipment

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted seven stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Thursday. Two stocks showed positive momentum while five stocks showed negative momentum.

GHL Systems, Oppstar, Bursa Malaysia, Country View, Fiamma, Marco, Tambun Indah 

Malaysia’s biggest port operator Westports Holdings Bhd said on Thursday its net profit rose 11.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the first quarter, thanks to higher container revenue, coupled with higher finance income and share of results of a joint venture (JV).

Westports' 1Q net profit up 11% on higher container revenue, finance income and share of results of JV

Smart Asia Chemical Bhd, en route to Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market, expects its new plant in Perak to triple its production capacity while allowing the paint and coating manufacturer to be closer to its clients.

Smart Asia Chemical to triple capacity with new plant from IPO proceeds

South Korea's SK Hynix said on Thursday its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI chipsets were sold out for this year and almost sold out for 2025 as businesses aggressively expand artificial intelligence services.

Nvidia supplier SK Hynix says HBM chips almost sold out for 2025

The El Nino phenomenon hitting the country is expected to continue for the next two months, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.