
Petronas Chemicals extends four-day rally as warrants surge fivefold
By midday, PetChem's stock had risen 12.44 per cent to RM4.70, its highest since Jan 23, extending a four-day surge that topped yesterday's six-month peak. Fueling the charge was the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), which has been steadily accumulating shares in recent sessions.
The counter saw 33.94 million shares change hands, its highest single-day volume recorded in at least two years. The rally also spilled into call warrants tied to the stock, with six of nine posting outsized gains.
Among the standouts was Pchem-C1F which soared 500 per cent, or 2.5 sen, to three sen from half a sen. Pchem-C1H gained 115.38 per cent, or 7.5 sen, to 14 sen, while Pchem-C1J doubled to 23 sen, up 11.5 sen. Both Pchem-C1D and Pchem-C1E also doubled from half a sen to one sen, while Pchem-C1I surged 92.31 per cent to 25 sen.
EPF purchased 5.13 million shares in multiple transactions over the past week, after PetChem's share price slumped 9.09 per cent to RM3.60, following its RM1.08 billion net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
Since releasing its quarterly results on Aug 13, PetChem has rebounded by RM1.10, or 30.55 per cent, with the retirement fund now controls 11.77 per cent, or 941.31 million shares, of the company.
At RM4.70, PetChem commands a market capitalisation of RM37.60 billion. However, the stock remains 3.29 per cent below its year-opening level of RM4.86.
PetChem is 64 per cent-owned by Petronas, according to its latest annual report, with EPF and Amanah Saham Bumiputera among its other heavyweight institutional shareholders.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Borneo Post
13 hours ago
- Borneo Post
NGOs protest EPF's proposed pension-style withdrawal plan
Frankie (third right) hands over the memorandum to Insp Shamshul Sahazali, a police officer attached to Wisma Bapa Malaysia today to be delivered to the State Secretary. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad KUCHING (Aug 21): Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have voiced strong opposition to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF)'s proposal to introduce a pension-style withdrawal mechanism under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). The Pertubuhan Gagasan Inovasi Rakyat Malaysia (PGIRM), together with the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), and the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), submitted a joint memorandum to the Sarawak government today. Addressed to State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, the memorandum expressed 'serious objections' to the plan, which would restrict contributors' ability to withdraw their full savings at age 55. 'We view this proposal as oppressive to contributors because it restricts full withdrawal of retirement savings at the age of 55, forcing them instead to receive pension-style payments without being given the option,' the group said in a statement. They argued it was unfair to assume that all 16 million EPF contributors are incapable of managing their own retirement savings. 'It is not fair if the government generalises that 16 million EPF contributors do not know how to manage their retirement finances just because a few are less prudent,' the group said. They also announced a nationwide signature campaign to reject the proposal and urged EPF and MoF to consider contributors' views before finalising any decision. They demanded that contributors in urgent financial need be allowed to withdraw up to 50 per cent of their Retirement Account immediately, with the remaining balance channelled as monthly payments. The proposal would initially apply to contributors aged 31 and 54 with at least RM20,000 in Account 1. PGIRM Supreme Council Administrative Bureau member Frankie Mohamad stressed that while the new systems could apply to new members in future, they should not be imposed on existing contributors. 'For new contributors, yes, perhaps in the future, but for us who have long been contributing, it is not fair,' he told reporters after handing over the memorandum at the compounds of Wisma Bapa Malaysia. He insisted EPF withdrawals should remain flexible at age 55. 'All Malaysians want the same thing – when they reach 55, they should be allowed to withdraw in full, or at least be given the choice,' he said. Frankie also noted that many contributors are burdened by debts and financial hardship, warning that restrictions could worsen social problems such as loan shark borrowing, theft, and even family violence. The NGOs suggested allowing contributors with Rm100,000 and below in Account 1 to withdraw 50 per cent, while those with more than RM100,000 could take out a lump sum of RM50,000 to settle long-standing debts. 'This struggle is not about asking for the government's money. We are only asking for our own savings in EPF to be released, to help ourselves as citizens,' Frankie said. 'We urge the government to act as soon as possible and hear the cries of ordinary Malaysians who are struggling,' he added. On the nationwide gatherings held in solidarity, Frankie noted that 14 PGIRM contributors and members from across Sarawak attended the Kuching handover, while parallel gatherings were also held in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur with participation from GHRF and PPIM. Under 13MP, the federal government is exploring a new dual-account EPF structure that would divide savings into a Retirement Account and a Pension Account, enabling partial lump-sum withdrawals along with monthly pension payouts. Earlier this month, the EPF has clarified that the proposal is still under study and does not alter existing withdrawal rules. MoF also confirmed that if adopted, the new system would only apply to new EPF members, with current contributors given the option to opt in voluntarily. epf ngos pension fund protest


New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Petronas Chemicals extends four-day rally as warrants surge fivefold
KUALA LUMPUR: Tradeable warrants tied to Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PetChem) surged into play, with some soaring as much as fivefold, as investors piled into the counter on bets that the rally in the mother share has further to run. By midday, PetChem's stock had risen 12.44 per cent to RM4.70, its highest since Jan 23, extending a four-day surge that topped yesterday's six-month peak. Fueling the charge was the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), which has been steadily accumulating shares in recent sessions. The counter saw 33.94 million shares change hands, its highest single-day volume recorded in at least two years. The rally also spilled into call warrants tied to the stock, with six of nine posting outsized gains. Among the standouts was Pchem-C1F which soared 500 per cent, or 2.5 sen, to three sen from half a sen. Pchem-C1H gained 115.38 per cent, or 7.5 sen, to 14 sen, while Pchem-C1J doubled to 23 sen, up 11.5 sen. Both Pchem-C1D and Pchem-C1E also doubled from half a sen to one sen, while Pchem-C1I surged 92.31 per cent to 25 sen. EPF purchased 5.13 million shares in multiple transactions over the past week, after PetChem's share price slumped 9.09 per cent to RM3.60, following its RM1.08 billion net loss for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. Since releasing its quarterly results on Aug 13, PetChem has rebounded by RM1.10, or 30.55 per cent, with the retirement fund now controls 11.77 per cent, or 941.31 million shares, of the company. At RM4.70, PetChem commands a market capitalisation of RM37.60 billion. However, the stock remains 3.29 per cent below its year-opening level of RM4.86. PetChem is 64 per cent-owned by Petronas, according to its latest annual report, with EPF and Amanah Saham Bumiputera among its other heavyweight institutional shareholders.


New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Bursa Malaysia ends morning session higher, lifted by blue chips
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session higher as investors bought select heavyweight stocks, led by the industrial products and services, as well as financial services counters, amid cautious sentiment in regional markets, said an analyst. At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.41 points to 1,592.62 from Wednesday's close of 1,588.21. The benchmark index opened 3.71 points firmer at 1,591.92 and moved between 1,590.31 and 1,596.02 in the morning trading session. The market breadth, however, was negative, with 457 decliners outpacing 420 gainers, while 429 counters were unchanged, 1,288 untraded, and 17 suspended. Turnover stood at 1.54 billion units worth RM1.31 billion. Thong Pak Leng, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd's vice-president of equity research, said the recent "accumulation stance" from local institutions has supported the market, thus he expects the index to hover within the 1,585-1595 points range today. "Wall Street closed overnight on a mixed note as traders continued to take profit on tech stocks, fearing prevailing high valuations. In addition, the sentiment may also be affected by the statement from the US Federal Reserve that a rate cut may not be so soon due to heightening inflationary pressure," he told Bernama today. Among the heavyweight counters, Maybank was flat at RM9.80, CIMB added 10 sen to RM7.46, Nestle gained 50 sen to RM89.50, and Petronas Chemicals soared 52 sen to RM4.70. Among the most active counters, Green Packet earned half a sen to 4.5 sen, Tanco added one sen to 74 sen, while Borneo Oil was flat at half a sen. Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index gained 20.74 points to 11,803.57, the FBMT 100 Index added 18.97 points to 11,587.27, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index went up 12.25 points to 11,711.59. The FBM Mid 70 Index slipped 30.74 points to 16,572.72, and the FBM ACE Index fell 0.88 of a point to 4,695.04. Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index climbed 51.22 points to 18,216.36, the Plantation Index increased 12.37 points to 7,604.97, and the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 2.26 points to 162.99. The Energy Index slipped 1.46 points to 748.76.