Some News About EPF...
Lets see what is EPF plan now...
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Kuala Lumpur: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) plans to increase holdings of global Islamic bonds to US$3bil by 2013 from US$1.7bil, chief executive officer Azlan Zainol said.
Malaysia pioneered syariah-compliant finance more than 30 years ago and is the world’s biggest market for sukuk.
Global sales of the debt totalled US$8.2bil this year, compared with US$4.5bil a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Offerings reached a record US$36.3bil last year.
EPF planned to broaden its mandate to include overseas non-Islamic securities in the second quarter because of a supply shortage of syariah-compliant debt, Azlan said. The pension fund was seeking to meet its target of investing 5% of funds in foreign-currency bonds, he added.
The company held RM124.6bil, or 27% of its assets, in Malaysian government bonds including syariah-compliant notes at the end of December, making it the single largest owner in the country, according to its website. It also had RM160.7bil in loans and corporate debt, RM167.2bil in stocks, RM14.9bil in money-market bills and RM1.8bil in property.
The EPF was the second largest sovereign pension fund in Asia outside Japan at the end of 2010, according to rankings by consultant company Towers Watson & Co in Hong Kong. Only South Korea’s National Pension Service had more assets. — Bloomberg
By CHOONG EN HAN
The pension fund taking profit after the benchmark index nears record high
PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) sold a further RM288.05mil worth of shares on March 8, after selling RM441.09mil worth a day earlier.
According to filings with Bursa Malaysia, the fund managers engaged by the EPF disposed of a total 49.88 million shares, while also acquiring 10.58 million shares.
Among the EPF's biggest disposals on March 3 were 8.08 million shares in Petronas Chemicals Bhd, seven million shares in YTL Corp Bhd and four million shares in CIMB Bank Bhd.
A source close to the EPF explained that the pension fund took profit to lock up gains after the benchmark FBM KLCI neared an all-time high of 1,594.74 points.
He said about 48% of EPF's gross investment income was contributed by equities last year, and 35.6% of its total investment portfolio comprised equities, valued at about RM167bil, as at December 2011.
The balance of its investment portfolio consisted of 26.5% in government securities and 34.2% in bonds, both fixed income assets that tend to offer lower dividends in line with the current low interest rate regime.
Note: This chart is file graphics from yesterday
“In
order to give a higher payout in terms of dividends, EPF has to make
money from equities trading,” he said. “When EPF makes money, the normal
working adults and contributors are also making money indirectly.”
Meanwhile, an analyst at local research house said the market was poised for more upside, as there had been no pre-election rally yet.
“Furthermore, the FBM KLCI has broadly underperformed as it has only recorded a 2.18% gain year-to-date, whereas other regional markets are experiencing strong double-digit growth,” the analyst said.
Japan's Nikkei 225 recorded a year-to-date gain of 17%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng has climbed 15.7% while Korea's Kospi Index has gained 10.9%.
He said news of the EPF selling down equities might turn the market cautious.
“Although the market has recorded net foreign inflows, selling by domestic funds might spook the market and put more downside on the market,” he said.
On the bright side, he said fundamentals of the market were still intact, with more newsflow from sectors like banking, construction, and oil and gas to be the next catalyst to drive up the market.
“I see no point in EPF sellling down right now as earnings had started to stabilise and first-quarter results should be within expectations or may outperform consensus.
“This is just a portfolio re-balancing by the EPF fund managers, as it is not a outright sell. They are still acquiring despite selling more than buying,” he said.
By CHOONG EN HAN
It disposes of RM441mil worth of shares on March 7
PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) sold a whopping RM441.09mil worth of Malaysia-listed equities on March 7 alone, in line with its trend of active disposals over the last two weeks.
Bursa Malaysia filings showed that on March 7, the EPF along with its portfolio managers dumped a total 83.68 million shares on the open market, substantially more than the 7.4 million shares it had acquired the same day.
The number of shares disposed of represents almost half the total volume traded that day, which stood at 173.14 million shares.
Fund managers reckon that the fund was merely taking profit but its aggressive selling had dragged the FBM KLCI down from its all-time high last week.
The FBM KLCI ended 10.47 points lower at 1,574.83 that day from 1,594.74 on Monday.
“It seems that the portfolio managers under EPF are taking a breather after the market climbed to near all-time highs.
“The number is substantial, and definitely the index would be down from the disposal. Filings next week will show whether the fund has continued with its selling spree this week,” said a fund manager.
Under the Companies Act 1965, substantial shareholders need only notify the listed company of the shareholding transaction within seven days.
Among the biggest disposals on March 7 were 11.43 million shares in Telekom Malaysia Bhd, 10.72 million shares in Axiata Group Bhd, and 10.23 million shares in YTL Corp Bhd.
EPF's divestment of shares has been going on for the last two weeks.
Most notably, between Feb 28 and March 1, it had disposed of about 30.3 millions shares in Maybank.
It had also early this month sold 10.7 million shares in UMW Holdings Bhd, 8.5 million shares in CIMB Group, 6.5 million shares in Telekom Bhd, six million shares in DiGi.Com Bhd, 3.7 million shares in IJM Corp Bhd, and 3.2 million shares in IOI Corp Bhd.
Meanwhile, EPF chief executive officer Tan Sri Azlan Zainol is reported to have said that the EPF had not distorted the market.
“It is all unintentional. We transact over three million shares at any one time; of course the market would be distorted,” he said.
In another development, the EPF is expected to start distributing portions of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia land in Sungai Buloh by June.
It is leading the development of the proposed prime township development via Kwasa Land Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the EPF.
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Wednesday March 14, 2012
EPF to boost sukuk holdings
Kuala Lumpur: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) plans to increase holdings of global Islamic bonds to US$3bil by 2013 from US$1.7bil, chief executive officer Azlan Zainol said.
Syariah-compliant
notes accounted for 1.5% of EPF’s total bond allocation and the plan
was to increase it to 2.5% by 2013, Azlan said in an interview. The
company started a programme to buy sukuk in October 2010.
“I’d
like to go into more Islamic bonds,” said Azlan, who manages the
RM470bil fund. “We want to contribute towards making Malaysia the
Islamic financial hub.”Malaysia pioneered syariah-compliant finance more than 30 years ago and is the world’s biggest market for sukuk.
Global sales of the debt totalled US$8.2bil this year, compared with US$4.5bil a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Offerings reached a record US$36.3bil last year.
EPF planned to broaden its mandate to include overseas non-Islamic securities in the second quarter because of a supply shortage of syariah-compliant debt, Azlan said. The pension fund was seeking to meet its target of investing 5% of funds in foreign-currency bonds, he added.
The company held RM124.6bil, or 27% of its assets, in Malaysian government bonds including syariah-compliant notes at the end of December, making it the single largest owner in the country, according to its website. It also had RM160.7bil in loans and corporate debt, RM167.2bil in stocks, RM14.9bil in money-market bills and RM1.8bil in property.
The EPF was the second largest sovereign pension fund in Asia outside Japan at the end of 2010, according to rankings by consultant company Towers Watson & Co in Hong Kong. Only South Korea’s National Pension Service had more assets. — Bloomberg
Wednesday March 14, 2012
EPF continues to sell equities
By CHOONG EN HAN
han@thestar.com.my
The pension fund taking profit after the benchmark index nears record high
PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) sold a further RM288.05mil worth of shares on March 8, after selling RM441.09mil worth a day earlier.
According to filings with Bursa Malaysia, the fund managers engaged by the EPF disposed of a total 49.88 million shares, while also acquiring 10.58 million shares.
Among the EPF's biggest disposals on March 3 were 8.08 million shares in Petronas Chemicals Bhd, seven million shares in YTL Corp Bhd and four million shares in CIMB Bank Bhd.
A source close to the EPF explained that the pension fund took profit to lock up gains after the benchmark FBM KLCI neared an all-time high of 1,594.74 points.
He said about 48% of EPF's gross investment income was contributed by equities last year, and 35.6% of its total investment portfolio comprised equities, valued at about RM167bil, as at December 2011.
The balance of its investment portfolio consisted of 26.5% in government securities and 34.2% in bonds, both fixed income assets that tend to offer lower dividends in line with the current low interest rate regime.
Note: This chart is file graphics from yesterday Meanwhile, an analyst at local research house said the market was poised for more upside, as there had been no pre-election rally yet.
“Furthermore, the FBM KLCI has broadly underperformed as it has only recorded a 2.18% gain year-to-date, whereas other regional markets are experiencing strong double-digit growth,” the analyst said.
Japan's Nikkei 225 recorded a year-to-date gain of 17%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng has climbed 15.7% while Korea's Kospi Index has gained 10.9%.
He said news of the EPF selling down equities might turn the market cautious.
“Although the market has recorded net foreign inflows, selling by domestic funds might spook the market and put more downside on the market,” he said.
On the bright side, he said fundamentals of the market were still intact, with more newsflow from sectors like banking, construction, and oil and gas to be the next catalyst to drive up the market.
“I see no point in EPF sellling down right now as earnings had started to stabilise and first-quarter results should be within expectations or may outperform consensus.
“This is just a portfolio re-balancing by the EPF fund managers, as it is not a outright sell. They are still acquiring despite selling more than buying,” he said.
Tuesday March 13, 2012
EPF goes on selling spree
By CHOONG EN HAN
han@thestar.com.my
It disposes of RM441mil worth of shares on March 7
PETALING JAYA: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) sold a whopping RM441.09mil worth of Malaysia-listed equities on March 7 alone, in line with its trend of active disposals over the last two weeks.
Bursa Malaysia filings showed that on March 7, the EPF along with its portfolio managers dumped a total 83.68 million shares on the open market, substantially more than the 7.4 million shares it had acquired the same day.
The number of shares disposed of represents almost half the total volume traded that day, which stood at 173.14 million shares.
Fund managers reckon that the fund was merely taking profit but its aggressive selling had dragged the FBM KLCI down from its all-time high last week.
“It seems that the portfolio managers under EPF are taking a breather after the market climbed to near all-time highs.
“The number is substantial, and definitely the index would be down from the disposal. Filings next week will show whether the fund has continued with its selling spree this week,” said a fund manager.
Under the Companies Act 1965, substantial shareholders need only notify the listed company of the shareholding transaction within seven days.
Among the biggest disposals on March 7 were 11.43 million shares in Telekom Malaysia Bhd, 10.72 million shares in Axiata Group Bhd, and 10.23 million shares in YTL Corp Bhd.
EPF's divestment of shares has been going on for the last two weeks.
Most notably, between Feb 28 and March 1, it had disposed of about 30.3 millions shares in Maybank.
It had also early this month sold 10.7 million shares in UMW Holdings Bhd, 8.5 million shares in CIMB Group, 6.5 million shares in Telekom Bhd, six million shares in DiGi.Com Bhd, 3.7 million shares in IJM Corp Bhd, and 3.2 million shares in IOI Corp Bhd.
Meanwhile, EPF chief executive officer Tan Sri Azlan Zainol is reported to have said that the EPF had not distorted the market.
“It is all unintentional. We transact over three million shares at any one time; of course the market would be distorted,” he said.
In another development, the EPF is expected to start distributing portions of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia land in Sungai Buloh by June.
It is leading the development of the proposed prime township development via Kwasa Land Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the EPF.
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