Bursa Malaysia Announces RM127.4 Mil Profit After Tax and Zakat for 1H2021

KUALA LUMPUR – Bursa Malaysia Berhad (“Bursa Malaysia” or the “Exchange”) recorded a Profit After Tax and Zakat (“PAT”) of RM127.4 million for the first half ended June 30, 2022 (“1H2022”), a 39.4% decrease from RM210.4 million reported in the previous corresponding half ended June 30 2021 (“1H2021”).

The decrease in PAT is due to lower operating revenue by 26.4% to RM309.4 million from RM420.2 million in 1H2021, primarily caused by a decline in securities trading revenue. Meanwhile, total operating expenses saw a 1.9% decrease to RM143.2 million in 1H2022, compared to RM146.1 million in 1H2021.

The Board of Directors approved and declared an interim dividend of 15 sen per share for financial year ending December 31, 2022, amounting to approximately RM121.4 million. This represents a payout ratio of 95.3%, higher than the payout ratio for 1H2021, which was at 92.3%.

“The weaker revenue stream has been influenced by domestic and global developments including global inflationary pressures, which resulted in a decline in profit for 1H2022 as compared to 1H2021. Due to these factors, PAT had declined 39.4% to RM127.4 million as compared to 1H2021,” said Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia.

For 1H2022 under review, the Securities Market registered a trading revenue of RM147.2 million, a decrease by 44.7% compared to RM266.1 million in 1H2021. This is due to lower Average Daily Trading Value (“ADV”) for Securities Market’s On-Market Trades (“OMT”) and Direct Business Trades (“DBT”) in 1H2022 of RM2.46 billion against RM4.51 billion in 1H2021.

Trading velocity in 1H2022 was lower by 28 percentage points to 33% compared to 61% in 1H2021. However, funds raised through Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”) in 1H2022 totalled RM2.1 billion, which was much higher than RM0.4 billion raised in 1H2021.

Total derivatives trading revenue increased by 6.2% to RM47.7 million in 1H2022 from RM44.9 million in 1H2021, contributed by higher collateral management fees earned in 1H2022 despite recording lower Derivatives Market Average Daily Contracts (“ADC”). The ADC in 1H2022 fell 3.4%, with 77,301 contracts in 1H2022 compared to 80,061 contracts in 1H2021.

As for the Islamic Markets, higher trading activity in Bursa Suq Al-Sila’ (“BSAS”) resulted in an increase of trading revenue by 14.4% to RM7.6 million in 1H2022, from RM6.7 million in 1H2021. The Exchange will continue to actively engage with its participants and continue to develop new Shariah compliant products, such as the Digital Gold Dinar, aimed at meeting the demand of investors.

Driven by the higher number of subscribers in 1H2022, the market data business showed a 18.3% increase in revenue, closing 1H2022 with a total of RM31.2 million, compared to RM26.4 million in 1H2021.

“Taking into account the World Bank’s forecasted Malaysian economic growth of 5.5% driven by higher consumption demand, we expect the number of new listings to remain strong in the second half of 2022. We will continue to enhance the attractiveness of the existing listed issuers through our Public Listed Companies Transformation Programme,” concluded Datuk Umar.

“To generate more trading activity, we will continue to actively engage with existing and potential market participants. Further, to meet the demands of investors as well as creating a more conducive Islamic capital market ecosystem, we will continue to develop new Shariah-compliant products such as the Digital Gold Dinar and a Shariah-compliant Voluntary Carbon Market, in line with our Sustainable and Responsible Investment (“SRI”) and Environmental Social Governance (“ESG”) agenda.”