Companies can no longer pay lip service to these guide lines that many investors are embracing
WHILE the concept of ESG, which stands for environmental, social and governance, is relatively well established, its significance here came to the fore recently.
Two particular developments led to this. One was the Top Glove Corp Bhd saga. After it was revealed that the glove making giant had paltry workers’ housing conditions that led to high Covid-19 infections, some analysts lowered their target prices thereby impacting the stocks’ value.
And then BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager that held a 1.61% equity stake in Top Glove, voted against the re-election of six independent directors at the rubber glove maker’s annual general meeting.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the business fraternity is glad that the proclamation of emergency will not impede business operations.
PETALING JAYA: It will be business as usual for industry players as the state of Emergency declared by the King will have a minimal impact on the economy, with no curfew involved.
Economists and business leaders said the state of emergency nationwide would address the country’s ongoing political uncertainties amid the worsening Covid-19 crisis, rather than derail economic recovery and business operations.
Speaking to StarBiz, MIDF Research economist Mazlina Abdul Rahman said the Emergency proclamation could provide space for the government to focus on revitalising the economy without intense political pressure.“This could facilitate the recovery process.The impact from the state of Emergency on our economy is very minimal due to business as usual. The concern about the impact to the economy is more on
Unit trust fund managers have enjoyed strong inflows this year, even as the product sees unprecedented levels of competition from a host of new and emerging investment platforms. Nonetheless, unit trusts will continue to be the dominant form of investment for the foreseeable future, industry players tell
Wealth.
“I think no matter how much we try to simplify the product and maximise our education efforts, there is just a baseline amount of complexity built into the investment landscape. That complexity cannot be avoided. And, ultimately, most retail investors want to be guided through their decision-making. That service is presently best expressed in the unit trust industry via an agency force,” Areca Capital Sdn Bhd CEO Danny Wong says.
Malaysia’s Kenanga Investors is in an advanced stage of negotiations to acquire i-VCAP Management, a state-backed asset and exchange-traded fund manager, according to people familiar with the matter.
“The deal, if sealed, would position Kenanga Investors as the second largest ETF provider in Malaysia, and it would also allow i-VCAP’s ultimate shareholders to exit the business as announced over a year ago,” one of these people tells
Asia Asset Management.
Affin Hwang Asset Management is currently the market leader with nine of the 19 ETFs listed on the local stock exchange. i-VCAP manages four ETFs and Kenanga Investors has two.
TWO words sent global markets and economies on a roller coaster ride in 2020 and it is the similar two words that will set the tone in 2021.
Covid-19 and vaccine will still be the main themes that shape 2021, dubbed the year of recovery as economies emerge from the pandemic beatdown.
The vaccine is literally the shot in the arm that is needed now because it provides not only the immunity to Covid-19, it is also the master key to the reset button to fully reopen economies and borders.
Various countries have gone through lockdowns and gradual easing of movement restrictions, only to reimplement lockdowns when cases spike or when there is a new outbreak.