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Malaysian Shares End in Red as August Inflation Quickens

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Malaysian shares closed slightly lower on Friday, with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI down 0.5% at 1,674.74, due to higher-than expected inflation rate in August.

In economic news, Malaysia's headline consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.9% year over year in August, according to the DoSM data. The reading beat the consensus forecast of 1.8% growth tracked by Investing.com and compared with a 1.8% expansion recorded in the previous month.

Malaysia's trade surplus increased to 28.1 billion ringgit in August from 22.5 billion ringgit in the previous month, according to data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

The trade surplus beat the forecast of 25.3 billion ringgit, tracked by Investing.com Exports surged 45.5% year-over-year to 191 billion ringgit, while imports rose 41.1% to 163 billion ringgit, beating the 33.3% forecast and faster than the 36.4% growth in the previous month.

In corporate news, TMK Chemical (KLSE:TMK) signed a conditional deal to acquire 100% of Chemical Co. of Malaysia from Batu Kawan (KLSE:BKAWAN) and Enternal Edge for 939.9 million ringgit. Shares of both TMK Chemical and Batu Kawan gained over 1% on Friday's close.

What else is happening in Asia?

Asia

Japan Hotel REIT Investment Secures New Term Loans

Japan Hotel REIT Investment (TYO:8985) has secured a new term loan amounting to 4.9 billion yen, according to a Tokyo bourse filing on Thursday.The unsecured loan has an interest rate of 0.30% on top of a base rate and maturity date of Sept. 28, 2029.Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, Mizuho Bank and MUFG Bank were the lenders.The REIT will use the loan to partially fund the capital expenditures for renovation of Hilton Tokyo Odaiba.In addition, the company undertook two unsecured term loans worth 4.25 billion yen and 700 million yen, respectively, to refinance existing loans due on Sept. 30.Both loans have interest rates of 0.45% on top of a base rate and maturity date of Sept. 30, 2032.Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, Mizuho Bank, SBI Shinsei Bank and Resona Bank were the lenders for the 4.25 billion yen green loan, while MUFG Bank, Aozora Bank and Kansai Bank were the syndicate for the 700 million yen borrowing.

TYO:8985
Asia

Tamawood Declares Dividend

Tamawood (ASX:TWD) declared a dividend of AU$0.105 per share for the six months ended June 30, according to a Friday filing with the Australian bourse.The dividend will be paid on Dec. 11 to shareholders on record as of Nov. 20, per the filing.The company paid the same dividend in the prior corresponding period, an earlier filing showed.

ASX:TWD
Asia

Lefroy Exploration Expands Western Australia Project Scoping Study

Lefroy Exploration (ASX:LEX) said it is actively assessing the opportunity to expand the scoping study for its Mt Martin gold project in Western Australia to incorporate the high-grade portion of the nearby Burns gold deposit, according to a Friday Australian bourse filing.The delivery of the scoping study is now scheduled for the early December quarter, while the review of the Burns deposit high-grade resource is also targeted for completion at the same time, the filing added.At the Lucky Strike project, part of the Lefroy gold project in Western Australia, Miscellaneous License L25/71 has been fully granted following the execution of a Heritage agreement, securing critical haulage and utility corridors, with a heritage survey to be undertaken in mid-October to clear the second dewatering corridor, the company added.

ASX:LEX