theSun | WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5 2008 21

business news Hang Seng

S&P/ASX200
4,215.1
TSEC
4,992.63 KLCI
STI
1,841.27 KOSPI Nikkei
14,384.34 6.40 2.43 905.58 42.49 1,153.35 9,114.60
39.97 6.23 24.27 537.62

market summary

briefs
Five more Pizza Hut outlets
by year-end
QSR Brands Bhd, the franchisee of Pizza Hut, plans to
open five new outlets by end of this year, adding to
the 181 outlets that it is now operating nationwide.
Managing director Jamaludin Md Ali said the
investment for the five new outlets was around
RM900,000 each, enabling the company to meet its
target of 186 restaurants this year in various loca-
tions.
“Next year, we are targeting to open 18 new
outlets, including in small towns so that everybody
in Malaysia can enjoy Pizza Hut products,” he told
reporters after the launch of new pizzas under
the “Flavours of the World” theme in Petaling Jaya
yesterday.
Asked whether QSR Brands was worried about
opening new outlets under the current economic
situation, Jamaludin said the strategy in growing
Pizza Hut was to provide variety in its products and
to open new outlets.
Brother Malaysia on track for
20% market share
BROTHER International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, which
currently holds about 15% share of the local printer
market, is on track to achieve 20% market share by
March next year.
The company is aiming to get 30% share of the
printer market within three years, said Brother Ma-
laysia’s director, Yoshiaki Otsuka.
“Our strength is that we have our own engine
or printer technology. We also have research and
development technology,” Otsuka told Bernama in a
recent interview.
Among the products produced by Brother is laser
printers, multi-function centres (MFC), fax machines,
P-touch electronic labellers, typewriters and sewing
machines.
Plastics industry to
NOVEMBER 4, 2008
INDICES CHANGE
FBMEMAS 5,944.96 +36.19
COMPOSITE
INDUSTRIAL
905.58
2,137.30
+6.23
+11.09
achieve 8% growth CONSUMER PROD
INDUSTRIAL PROD
CONSTRUCTION
TRADING/SERVICES
FINANCE
PROPERTIES
272.27
70.26
157.03
127.42
7,045.02
533.78
+3.03
+0.40
+0.96
+0.77
+67.42
+9.16
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian plastics produce complete products and build PLANTATIONS 3,809.30 +14.79
industry has projected 5-8% growth this successful brand names as well as MINING 255.33 +4.05
year from a turnover of RM15.7 billion in strengthen research and development FBMSHA 6,103.64 +36.78
2007. (R&D) in partnerships or joint ventures FBM2BRD 4,361.33 -25.51
For the first six months of this year, with leading foreign companies. TECHNOLOGY 14.53 +0.06
the industry has registered a growth According to him, exports now TURNOVER VALUE
of 8.3% with a turnover of RM7.86 accounted for 57% of the industry’s total 1.115bil RM1.209bil
billion from RM7.35 billion in the same turnover and in line with the drive to boost
period last year, said Malaysian Plastics the export sector.
Manufacturers Association (MPMA) Meanwhile, Fadillah said R&D RM7bil stimulus
president Lim Kok Boon. was now playing an important role in
“Industry players must come up with the innovation process, resulting in pushes CI above 900
their own brands and designs to boost the technologies that brought new products THE RM7 billion stimulus package announced by
industry growth,” Lim told reporters after and services to the marketplace as well as the government to reinforce the economy sent the
launch of the Fourth MPMA International better processes. benchmark KLCI above the 900-level, said dealers. At
Plastics Conference by Deputy Science, “Innovation results in high quality jobs, the close, the Index stood at 905.58, up 6.23 points.
Technology and Innovation Minister successful businesses, better goods and Dealers said interest was seen in construction
Fadillah Yusof yesterday. services, and more efficient processes,” he and property stocks as the companies were among
The two-day conference is organised said. the main beneficiaries of the stimulus package which
once in every two years to update the Fadillah said international research is aimed at strengthening national resilience and to
plastics industry on the latest trends and had consistently demonstrated the positive maintain economic growth momentum to face the
developments such as plastic processing correlation between R&D investment increasingly challenging global economic climate.
technology, innovations, material and intensity and a company’s performance as Dealers said the overall market was however
environment. reflected in sales growth and share price. mixed with selling activities seen on selective counters
Lim also called on members to adopt Companies which concentrated on as some investors took profits following the two days
measures and strategies such as upgrading sustained growth through investment in of strong rebound.
manufacturing capability by improving R&D are most likely to achieve increased Volume leaders, KNM Group was flat at 67 sen,
design capability and moving towards shareholder return, he said. Scomi gained five sen to 39 sen, Axis added 4.5 sen
being original design manufacturers “To maximise the benefits, investment to 23 sen, Kinsteel was unchanged at 56 sen and Lion
(ODMs) instead of being just original in R&D should be combined with Industries perked two sen to 75.5 sen. Among the
equipment manufacturers (OEMs). appropriate investment in capital heavyweights who helped lift the KLCI were MISC,
He said industry player should equipment, market development, new which gained five sen to 8.55, followed by Public Bank
work towards creating own brands or business processes and other key drivers and Maybank which rose 10 sen each to RM8.70 and
collaborate with foreign partners to of productivity,” he added. – Bernama RM5.95 respectively. – Bernama

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