RHB analysts top in stock-picks

Kuala Lumpur, 24 May 2007: Three analysts from RHB Research Institute Sdn Bhd (“RHB Research”) have been named among the best stock pickers in Asia for 2006 in a Financial Times survey.

The three are Low Yee Huap, who won first place in the category for Real Estate (including REITS), Yap Huey Chiang, who topped the category for Energy & Chemicals and Clare Chin Kit Ching who was among the top three for Media.

The survey, by Financial Times and StarMine, measures analysts’ performance based on the returns of their stock recommendations and the accuracy of their earnings estimates. The region covered by the survey includes China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

This is the 6th Annual StarMine Analyst Awards. StarMine is a strategic partner of Thomson Financial, a provider of investment tools and information for more than 1,200 firms globally.

“We are very pleased to have three of our analysts named in the Financial Times/StarMine Awards. They have certainly outshone some of the very best analysts from global bulge bracket firms in the region for categories in three industries,” says Chief Executive Officer of RHB Investment Bank Bhd (“RHB InvestBank”) Mr Chay Wai Leong.

“This clearly reflects the strength of the research capabilities at RHB InvestBank,” he adds.

Low, who has been with RHB Research for more than two years, was also voted one of the top property sector analysts in The Edge poll last year. He continues to like property stocks that are in the high-end residential and commercial sub-segments.

His top pick for the sector are IOI Properties Bhd (“IOI Prop”), Plenitude Bhd (“Plenitude”), Sunway City Bhd (“SunCity”), Sunrise Bhd (“Sunrise”) and YNH Property Bhd (“YNH”). “These companies’ earnings will benefit from the expected inflow of foreign investments into Malaysian properties,” Low says.

Yap, who joined RHB Research in 2005, was also voted one of the top oil and gas sector analysts in The Edge poll last year. He continues to like the oil and gas sector for the strong earnings visibility over the next three years.

His top picks for 2007 are Dialog Group Bhd (“Dialog”), Eastern Pacific Industrial Corporation Bhd (“EPIC”), Petra Perdana Bhd (“Petra Perdana”) and Wah Seong Corporation Bhd (“WSC”). “For the current year to date, Dialog has risen by 101%, outperforming the benchmark KLCI by 62% while EPIC has similarly risen by 69% and outperformed the KLCI by 36%,” he points out.

Chin, who has been covering the media sector for RHB Research since 2003, was voted one of the top analysts in the media, telecommunications and motor categories, in The Edge poll last year.

“I believe the outlook for the media sector will improve this year, on the back of stronger advertising revenue, and lower operating costs – arising from lower newsprint prices and a stronger ringgit,” she says. Her top pick in the media sector for 2007 is New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (“NSTP”).

For enquiries, please contact: Yeoh Guan Jin at 012-3835027 or 03-92802536 or guanjin@rhb.com.my.