14 theSun | WEDNESDAY APRIL 29 2009

KLCI 965.70 14.42 Nikkei 8,493.77 232.57

business STI 1,808.41 10.20 TSEC 5,596.73 108.32
Hang Seng 14,555.11 285.31 KOSPI 1,300.24 39.59
SCI 2,401.44 3.91 S&P/ASX200 3,708.40 23.20

KL market summary
Prices close broadly lower APRIL 28, 2009
INDICES CHANGE
SHARE prices on Bursa Ma- the day in negative territory. inched down half a sen
FBMEMAS 6,366.79 -103.80
laysia closed broadly lower They said the swine to eight sen, KNM lost 3.5
COMPOSITE 965.70 -14.42
Love Me yesterday on profit-taking flu outbreak in Mexico sen to 51.5 sen, UEM Land INDUSTRIAL 2,228.59 -13.47
Do! amid concerns the recent also weighed on investor shed one sen to 98 sen and CONSUMER PROD 298.05 -0.54
rally was overdone, dealers sentiments over concerns Ramunia eased 5.5 sen to INDUSTRIAL PROD 73.21 -1.26
winners said. it could become a global 59.5 sen. CONSTRUCTION 182.14 -3.64
tie the The KLCI fell 1.47% or pandemic. Of heavyweights, Sime TRADING SERVICES 129.63 -1.88
FINANCE 7,406.94 -122.01
knot 14.42 points to close the At close, the Finance Darby fell five sen to RM6.45,
PROPERTIES 591.43 -15.83
day at 965.70. It opened Index fell 122.01 points to Maybank declined 16 sen to
pg 16 2.53 points lower at 977.59 7,406.94, Plantation RM4.30 while Tenaga rose
PLANTATIONS 4,846.88 -145.89
MINING 259.38 UNCH
in the morning. Losers outpaced gainers five sen to RM7.15. FBMSHA 6,686.09 -94.05
Dealers said continued by 568 to 127 while 146 Bumuputra-Commerce FBM2BRD 4,248.12 -61.44
selling activities in major counters were unchanged, eased five sen to RM7.95, IOI TECHNOLOGY 12.55 -0.23
plantations and banking- 400 untraded and 33 others Corp lost 20 sen to RM4.12
TURNOVER VALUE
related stocks had dragged suspended. and MISC slipped five sen to
down the key index to finish Among actives, Talam RM8.45. – Bernama 1.562bil RM1.312bil

Carlsberg registers 7% growth

by Jonathan Mah
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: Carlsberg

Malaysia yesterday announced
a revenue of RM960 million for
the financial year ending Dec 31,
2008, posting a 7% growth over
the preceding year.
However, net profit dipped 3%
to RM76 million on the back of
higher costs in operations.
Speaking at its post-annual
general meeting media briefing,
Carlsberg Malaysia managing
director Søren Holm Jensen said
the successful implementation of
the company’s 2008 Strategic Plan
had provided a strong platform
for future growth and this year.
On Carlsberg’s plan for this
year, Jensen said: “We want to bal- Carlsberg Malaysia chief financial
ance between maintaining market officer Chong Choon Yeng, Jensen,
share and maintaining a healthy chairman Datuk Lim Say Chong and
profitable business. We have a executive director Datuk Chin Voon
good balance sheet, so we don’t Loong at the media briefing.
see investments as necessary for
our survival. But being a cash-rich
company, if a good opportunity down (this year). But the demand their policy of forward buying in » Carlsberg’s flagship “Green La-
comes by, we might consider it.” for beer is relatively stable.” 2008, competition from the local bel” brand recording double-digit
Carlsberg has about 50% of the Major challenges for the industry and the risk that beer and growth of 14% in domestic con-
local beer market share. year include the pressure from alcohol smuggling might escalate. sumption and consolidating with
Referring to the current global consumers due to the economic To mitigate rising costs, Jensen a new advertising campaign;
economic slowdown, Jensen climate, unfavourable raw and said there were plans to raise » Developing strong portfolio
said: “Growth has definitely come packaging material costs due to product prices by a marginal brands with two joint-ventures
amount of a few per cent. resulting in Carlsberg offering a
He also listed four notable wider range of imported interna-
achievements by the company tional beer brands such as Stella
for last year. They were: Artois, Hoegaarden, Budweiser,
» The implementation of a Foster’s and Beck’s. Together with
unified, performance-based its locally brewed Carlsberg and
and customer-focused working Tuborg beers, the company now
environment resulted in 70% of offers Malaysian consumers nine
employees acknowledging that of the world’s top international
they were more engaged and beer brands; and
motivated with the company » Establishing a strong platform
being named as “Strongest Win- for growth by reducing energy
ning Culture” within Carlsberg consumption by 14% and water
Group worldwide; consumption by 10%.

briefs
Naza taps markets of
Brunei and Iran
SHAH ALAM: Naza Bikes Sdn Bhd,
a subsidiary of Naza group of com-
panies, is set to tap the motorycle
markets of Iran and Brunei with
shipments of completely knocked
down (CKD) parts.
The company is exporting its
first batch of 500 units of the Flash
motorcycle model to the Iranian
market and 100 units of the Flash
and GTR 150 models to Brunei.
“The motorcycle market in Iran
has been growing rapidly with
vehicle registrations reaching
700,000 annually while the Brunei
market offers huge opportunities
in the high-end segment,” Naza
group chief executive officer SM
Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin told
reporters yesterday.
Two containers of the CKD parts
to Iran and Brunei were flagged off
by Deputy International Trade and
Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz
Mahathir. – Bernama
M’sia issued susuk
worth RM6.4bil in Q1
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has is-
sued sukuk worth RM6.4billion in
the first quarter of this year, with
three large issues of between
RM1 billion and RM2.5 billion, says
Securities Commission chairman
Datuk Seri Zarinah Anwar.
As a pioneer in the global
sukuk market, Malaysia would
continue to see growth trend in
sukuk issues this year, she said.
“This market has experienced
high growth and we remain
firmly established as one of the
largest sukuk issuers globally.”
Last year, about 60% of the
world’s sukuk issuance originat-
ed from Malaysia, she said at the
Islamic Finance Asia Summit.
Toyota posts 33% rise
in sales for March Higher pre-tax profit
KUALA LUMPUR: UMW Toyota Mo- for Titan Chemicals
tor Sdn Bhd announced yesterday
that its March 2009 sales increased
by 33% to 7,113 units from 5,367
units in the previous month.
The Toyota Vios remained the
leader in the small passenger
car (1400cc to 1500cc) with 49%
market share while Hilux retained
its lead in the our-wheel drive light
duty pick-ups segment with 51.8%
market share, the company said.
“We believe that both the Vios
and Hilux will reach their targeted
sales volume for this year,” UMW
Toyota’s president Kuah Kock Heng
said in a statement yesterday.
For the MPV segment, UMW
Toyota still claimed market leader-
ship with a total of 4,952 units sold
for the first quarter of this year,
2,017 units more than its closest
competitor. – Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Titan Chemicals
Corp Bhd recorded a higher
pre-tax profit of RM156.699 mil-
lion for the first quarter ended
March 31, 2009, compared with
RM52.937 million in the same
period last year.
The company said its revenue
declined to RM1.127 billion from
RM1.659 billion previously.
Its profit after tax was RM132.8
million, a 2% year-on-year growth
driven by improved sales margin
for its polymer-naptha resulting
from customers re-stocking.
– Bernama