KUALA LUMPUR: Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd is the Bursa Malaysia benchmark index’s best performing stock this year with a total return of 36.73 per cent, while Axiata Group Bhd is the worst performer.
Hap Seng, a diversified company with businesses in plantations, property holding and development, credit financing, automotive, fertilisers trading and building materials — was also the best stock in 2014 with a total return of 39.74 per cent.
Last year, it came second after Petronas Dagangan Bhd, which gained 45.31 per cent during the year.
On the last trading day this year, Hap Seng — which has strong historical growth in revenue and profit with diversified income base — closed 33 sen, or 3.87 per cent higher, to RM8.86 from Thursday’s RM8.53. It had a price-earnings (PE) ratio of 20.99 as of yesterday.
The company had a compound annual growth rate of 10.6 per cent on its revenue and 27.3 per cent over the past five year.
Hap Seng was followed by KLCCP Stapled Group Bhd with a total return of 17.56 per cent and Genting Bhd with 8.99 per cent during the year.
Malayan Banking Bhd and Tenaga Nasional Bhd, the two largest stocks by market capitalisation, had a total return of -2.38 per cent and 4.35 per cent respectively.
All four telecommunication giant stocks are among the worst performers in the 30-stock components of the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI this year.
Axiata Group was the worst performer, losing 26.37 per cent since the beginning of the year, faster than the key index’s 3.56 per cent decline.
This follows the telco’s earnings dip, partly due to higher finance cost and volatile currencies as it operates in 10 countries globally.
Axiata’s PE ratio dropped to its lowest in four years.
At the end of the last trading day, Axiata gained 15 sen, or 3.28 per cent, to close at RM4.72.
Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Maxis Bhd and DiGi.Com Bhd lost 12.24 per cent, 12.06 per cent and 10.56 per cent during the year.
The worst performers list also include multinational company British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, which contracted 20.47 per cent.
The company continues to suffer poor sales due to a hike in excise duty last November and illegal cigarette trades.
Earlier this year, the country's biggest cigarette maker announced that it was shutting down its factory in Malaysia by mid-2017.