28-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
EPF accumulates Gamuda shares, cuts position in KPJ Healthcare
Muhammed Ahmad Hamdan
KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has been snapping up shares in Gamuda Bhd, lifting its stake in the property and infrastructure giant by more than four percentage points since the start of the year.
EPF now holds an 11.91 per cent stake or 686.64 million shares in Gamuda, up from 7.51 per cent or 427.37 million shares on Jan 2. This represents a net accumulation of 259.27 million shares over the past four months.
Gamuda's stock last changed hands at RM3.99, 15.11 per cent or 71 sen lower than RM4.70 at the start of the year. It's market capitalisation stood at RM20.01 billion.
Year-to-date, the stock has traded between a low of RM3.59 and a high of RM5.20, compared to its 52-week range of RM2.60 to RM5.38.
The counter has received five 'strong buy', 12 'buy' and two 'hold' calls, with a consensus target price of RM5.27, according to Bursa Marketplace.
The 12-month target price implies an upside potential of 32.15 per cent from the current price of RM3.99.
Gamuda, which pays semiannual dividends, declared a first interim payout of five sen per share on Jan 23, together with a dividend reinvestment plan at RM3.81 per share.
For the second quarter ended Jan 31, 2025, the group posted a 17 per cent year-on-year jump in revenue to RM3.90 billion, while net profit climbed five per cent to RM218.85 million.
Cumulatively, for the first half of its financial year, revenue surged 31 per cent to RM8.04 billion, with net profit rising five per cent to RM424.24 million compared to the same period a year ago.
RHB Investment Bank Bhd, which has a 'buy' call on Gamuda, said the group boasts strong prospects from upcoming infrastructure projects.
It cited Gamuda's secured role in the Penang Light Rail Transit project and its potential participation in water infrastructure projects, including the Sungai Perak–Bukit Merah Dam and Sungai Rasau Water Supply Scheme Stage 2.
It said Gamuda is also a key partner in the Upper Padas Hydroelectric Dam project in Sabah and is among the contenders for major contracts under the Mass Rapid Transit 3 project.
Meanwhile, EPF has also been increasing its holdings in several other blue-chip companies, including Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), MISC Bhd, Sunway Bhd, and Sime Darby Property Bhd.
Year-to-date, the fund has raised its stake in TNB by 2.23 percentage points to 20.46 per cent, representing a net accumulation of 132.89 million shares.
TNB last traded at RM13.56, giving it a market capitalisation of RM79.05 billion, down 8.07 per cent or RM6.94 billion from RM85.99 billion when it was trading at RM14.76 on Jan 2.
EPF also accumulated 46.90 million shares in MISC to raise its stake to 13.69 per cent, 59.63 million shares in Sunway to 8.65 per cent and 66.95 million shares in Sime Darby Property to 8.51 per cent.
On the flip side, EPF has trimmed its stakes in several companies, notably KPJ Healthcare Bhd, where it sold 107.09 million shares, reducing its stake to 9.7 per cent from 12.16 per cent.
KPJ last traded at RM2.72, 15.74 per cent higher than its Jan 2 price of RM2.35, giving the healthcare group a market capitalisation of RM12.31 billion.
The fund also cut its holdings in Axiata Group Bhd by 75.63 million shares to 17.55 per cent, in AMMB Holdings Bhd by 23.90 million shares to 12.70 per cent, and in Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust by 7.07 million units to 15.95 per cent.
