RM118.8 Million Net Profit and 10.5 sen dividend declared – highest since becoming an investment bank

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FY2021 vs FY2020

· Net Profit at RM118.8 million, up by 16.2%

· Net Income at RM784.5 million, down by 5.1%

· Operating Expense at RM648.5 million, down by 7.4%

· Return on Equity at 11.5%, up from 10.7%

· Earnings Per Share at 16.3 sen, up by 11.9%

· Net Equity Trading Investment Income at RM65.8 million, up by 0.5%

· Market Share of Retail Stockbroking at 24.2%, up from 22.2%

· Asset Under Administration (AUA) at RM18.8 billion up by 35.8%

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 25 February 2022 – Malaysia’s leading independent investment bank, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (“Kenanga” or the “Group”) delivered a new all-time high performance with its full year results ended 31 December 2021, surpassing its record performance from the year before.

Profit Before Tax (“PBT”) increased to RM148.2 million, up from RM134.7 million the year before, while Profit After Tax (“PAT”) increased to RM118.8 million, a 16.2% increase from the corresponding period. Revenue stood at RM891.5 million.

Annualised Return on Equity (ROE) stood at 11.5%, up from 10.7% and Earnings Per Share rose by 11.9% to 16.3 sen compared to 14.6 sen the year before.

The Board of Directors has declared a dividend of 10.5 sen per share, highest since becoming an investment bank.

“The year 2021 was a year of two halves for the Malaysian capital markets. The first half was largely shaped by the same robust momentum that fuelled our bumper year in 2020. The retail-driven strong trading volumes on Bursa Malaysia led to the excellent performance in our stockbroking business,” commented Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad.

“However, this momentum moderated sharply in the second half of the year, as the country was hit by multiple headwinds, including the reintroduction of lockdown measures in the middle of the year due to surging COVID-19 cases. The FBM KLCI which hovered above 1,600 points at the start of the year, slipped below 1,500 points during second half. Daily average trading value weakened to RM4.1 billion in December from a high of RM10.6 billion in February,”

“Despite the tumultuous year, our stockbroking business continued to contribute the lion’s share of our 2021 bottom line that was further reinforced by the significant strides made by both our asset management and private equity businesses. This enabled us to thrive through the volatilities to deliver a stellar performance that beat the odds – a testimony to the strength of our diversified strategy,” added Datuk Chay added.

Its Stockbroking division maintained a PBT of RM86.4 million for the year ended 2021, similar to the PBT of year before. Its retail market share grew to 24.2%, from 22.2% driven by the continuous expansion of its joint venture Rakuten Trade, Malaysia’s first fully digital stocktrading platform.

Its Investment Management division surged by almost three folds, to a record PBT contribution of RM34.9 million. This is due to the higher performance fee and management fee income generated from increased asset under administration (“AUA”) to RM18.8 billion and a 60% growth in sales agency force. Meanwhile, Kenanga’s private equity arm had an exceptional year in 2021, with Fund I vintages maturing and in the harvesting period. RM24.6 million gains were recognised during the year.

“Looking forward, digital which has been central in shaping our growth journey, will continue to play a pivotal role in powering our next phase of advancement,” explained Datuk Chay.

Kenanga Investment Bank recently launched Malaysia’s latest robo-advisor, Kenanga Digital Investing (KDI). This follows the successful introduction of Rakuten Trade, which recently launched stock trading in the US markets at the same competitive commissions as trading on the local bourse.

For more information on Kenanga, please visit www.kenanga.com.my

About Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (197301002193 (15678-H))

Established for more than 45 years, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (the Group) is a financial group in Malaysia with extensive experience in equity broking, investment banking, treasury, Islamic banking, listed derivatives, investment management, wealth management, structured lending and trade financing.

The Group’s digital ambition includes building a robust digital ecosystem that meets the needs of its clients and businesses. Some of its game-changing products includes Malaysia’s fully online digital stockbroking platform Rakuten Trade and a fully A.I. robo-advisor, Kenanga Digital Investing.

The Group has garnered a host of awards and accolades reflecting its strong market position. It was awarded under the categories of Highest Returns to Shareholder Over Three Years, Best Overall Equities Participating Organisation by Bursa Malaysia, Best Overall Derivatives Trading Participant, Best Structured Warrant Issuer, Best Retail Equities Participating Organisation, Best Institutional Equities Participating Organisation Investment Bank; along with Best Trading Participant and Best Institutional Equities Participating Organisation and for Equity and Financial Derivatives for 18 consecutive years. The Group was also accorded the title of Best Institutional Derivatives Trading category by Bursa Malaysia.

The Group continues to be a regular and repeat recipient of distinguished industry accolades, such as the Lipper, Fundsupermart and Morningstar awards. For its continued efforts towards community outreach and employee volunteerism, the Group was awarded the coveted Company of the Year award for environmental and sustainability at Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2021. The Group is also a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principle-based approach to responsible business.

Today, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad is an award-winning leading independent investment bank in the country with a continuous commitment towards driving collaboration, innovation, digitalisation and sustainability in the marketplace.

#Kenanga

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Commitment to SBTi accelerates the Group’s long-standing contribution to climate action, which has led to carbon emissions reduction in its Central Portfolio by 38% since 2008.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 February 2022 – Hongkong Land is proud to commit to the Science Based Targets initiative (“SBTi”) campaign to set emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science consistent with the Paris Agreement which aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Joining other leaders in the private sector to support climate action, Hongkong Land has set itself ambitious emission reduction targets covering its operations across the region. This includes targeting a 46% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 22% reduction in carbon intensity for Scope 3 emissions by 2030 from 2019 levels. Measures include continuing to retrofit and deploy smart green technologies in existing portfolios to drive efficiencies, increasing the use of renewable energy, and focusing on low carbon construction to reduce emissions in development projects.

The SBTi was established in 2015 as part of a partnership between CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature to provide businesses with a clear plan to reduce emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement to combat climate change.

“Climate change is an issue we have attached great importance to for many years and is a business priority for the Group. We are proud to be strengthening this dedication by committing to this initiative,” said Mr Ben Keswick, Chairman of Hongkong Land. “Sustainability is fully integrated into all of our operations, with strong backing from the Board.”

“Hongkong Land has an established track record of adopting green building standards and innovating to deliver long-term value to stakeholders. This commitment, which works towards independent and clearly defined goals for carbon emissions reductions, is a natural next step in Hongkong Land’s sustainability journey,” he concluded.

Key sustainability initiatives across the portfolios in recent years include the consistent retrofitting of existing assets to drive energy efficiency – with annual reinvestment in the Central Portfolio in Hong Kong totalling more than US$50 million – and increasing renewable energy generation onsite. The Group has also implemented a robust green building certification programme, with all buildings in Hong Kong and Singapore achieving BEAM Plus Platinum and Green Mark Platinum certifications. Energy consumption in the Central Portfolio has been reduced by 30% when compared to the baseline year of 2008.

At a Group level, Hongkong Land has issued green bonds and sustainability-linked loans amounting to US$548 million and US$2.1 billion, respectively.

Mr Robert Wong, Chief Executive of Hongkong Land, added “Developers must take responsibility for mitigating their impact on the environment and pushing the sustainability agenda forward on behalf of the community they serve, including their tenants who are increasingly prioritising greener buildings and services.

“We have made considerable investment into our existing portfolios and new developments to reduce our carbon footprint, and committing to the SBTi targets is the latest step in our journey as we seek to accelerate our efforts,” he said.

Hongkong Land

Hongkong Land is a major listed property investment, management and development group. Founded in 1889, Hongkong Land’s business is built on excellence, integrity and partnership.

The Group owns and manages more than 850,000 sq. m. of prime office and luxury retail property in key Asian cities, principally in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Jakarta. Its properties attract the world’s foremost companies and luxury brands.

The Group’s Central Hong Kong portfolio represents some 450,000 sq. m. of prime property. It has a further 165,000 sq. m. of prestigious office space in Singapore mainly held through joint ventures, four retail centres on the Chinese mainland, including a luxury retail centre at Wangfujing in Beijing, and a 50% interest in a leading office complex in Central Jakarta. The Group also has a number of high quality residential, commercial and mixed-use projects under development in cities across China and Southeast Asia, including a 43% interest in a 1.1 million sq. m. mixed-use project in West Bund, Shanghai. In Singapore, its subsidiary, MCL Land, is a well-established residential developer.

Hongkong Land Holdings Limited is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. The Group’s assets and investments are managed from Hong Kong by Hongkong Land Limited. Hongkong Land is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

#HongkongLand

About the Science Based Targets initiative

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.

The initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets. www.sciencebasedtargets.org @sciencetargets

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 24 February 2022 – To campaign the importance of protecting languages, and advance the inheritance of mother languages to prevent their disappearance, the United Nations designated February 21 each year as the International Mother Language Day. CIP held the 2022 International Mother Language Day — Indigenous Language Revitalization Award Ceremony and Forum on Taiwan Indigenous Language Development on February 21 and 22 at Parkview Hotel Hualien. The event included the Indigenous Language Revitalization Award Ceremony, keynote speech, and conference on building an environment friendly to indigenous languages by traditional leaders and heads of agencies.

Minister Icyang of CIP said that in order to further reward the individuals, agencies, and groups promoting indigenous languages, the number of awards has been increased to 23 from 12 in 2021. In addition to providing NTD 20K to 60K bonuses, the Premier Su Tseng-Chang personally presented all 12 award categories to demonstrate his appreciation to everyone for being the role model in promoting indigenous languages.

The Indigenous Language Development Meeting the following morning saw the participation of indigenous traditional leaders, their contributions help everyone understand how they led the indigenous communities in building the environment for indigenous languages. In addition, CIP is also moving forward with the “Support Program to Creating the Environment for Indigenous Languages in Church” this year, expanding the function and role played by the Church in passing on indigenous languages over the years, and creating on a wide scale an environment friendly to indigenous languages.

Responding to the theme of this year’s UN commemoration of the International Mother Language Day, “using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”, Minister Iycang of CIP delivered his full remark and speech in the Amis language, which is simultaneously interpreted through the equipment for simultaneous interpreting. This shows how mother languages are no longer obstacles to communication with the assistance of technology. In the future, we will be applying more indigenous language-assistive technology, and continue to work with central and local governments, NGOs, and indigenous peoples to promote the preservation and promotion of indigenous languages.

#CouncilofIndigenousPeoples