YTL-Biggest Non-GLC?

Hear ye! Hear ye!

YTL Corp has a hefty cash reserves of  RM10.8bil!

With this chunky treasure trove, it is little wonder that YTL Corp Bhd has emerged to be the largest non-government-linked company in this year’s Malaysian Business Magazine Top 100 Companies survey of Malaysia’s largest listed companies.

YTL Corp said the group moved up to No. 5 from No. 20 previously in the list of Malaysia’s largest listed companies while its subsidiary, YTL Power International Bhd, soared 23 rungs to secure the eighth spot.

With its cash reserves amounting to about RM10.8bil, analysts said YTL Corp could easily acquire assets up to US$25bil-US$30bil without the need to raise more money.

It had been reported that the group was looking at acquisition opportunities in the water utilities, power generation and cement businesses, especially in China where it wanted to grow its presence in cement and power generation.

YTL Corp said that riding on its long history and impeccable track record, the group’s portfolio of businesses had grown tremendously over the last decade and now spanned across Asia-Pacific and Europe.

This strategy had generated excellent returns for shareholders, successfully contributing to an annual average compounded growth rate of 55% over the last 15 years.

YTL is here to stay,my friends...........

Kentucky Turns Indian Juggernaut!

If there is any stock that you want to pick in the Bursa Malaysia, do consider KFC Holdings. It is definitely going places!

Feeling the density,intensity and competitiveness of the operations at home, KFC has trained its sights on the Indian sub-continent.

In October,after opeining close to 500 outlets in Malaysia, KFC opened its third branch in India in Mumbai again-right in the the hub of both entertainment and hi-finance. This is its second branch in Mumbai . It opened the first in June.

Both these outlets were opened on the heels of the opening of an outlet in the educational-cum-cultural hub of Pune which opened in April.

KFCH’s vision is to become the largest integrated food services group in the Asia-Pacific.

India is KFCH’s first venture outside South-East Asia. The company now has 75 outlets in Singapore, eight in Brunei and nine in Cambodia.

KFCH views India with great optimism because the world’s second-most-populous country offers sustainable business growth.

A KFC spokesperson says the Indian consumer market is considered underdeveloped, as it now has about 1,200 brand restaurants in a country with a population of about 1.13 billion.

There is a large consumer base in India, with its emerging middle-class driving consumption for food and entertainment, while 50% of the population are under 25 years old.

“KFCH stands to reap growth prospects for strong organic growth in India, with Mumbai and Pune having a combined population of about 26 million,” he said.

“We can emulate KFCH’s success of a fully integrated operation, delivering consistent support services, reliable source of quality chicken at competitive prices and most importantly, its ability to supply the growing demand for halal chicken,” he adds.

In India, KFCH sources it halal chicken from a local processing plant, Venky’s India Ltd.

The KFC spokeperson said that the Indian venture would also allow KFCH to diversify its earnings base besides reducing its dependency on the Malaysian and Singapore markets.

KFCH’s inroad into India was made possible following an offer from Yum! Brands Inc, the master franchisor of the KFC brand, to develop the franchise in the state of Maharashtra, where both Mumbai and Pune are located.

KFCH will focus on developing its chain of outlets in Maharashtra before looking at other states in India, noting that Maharashtra, which is on the west side of the subcontinent, offers vast opportunity with a population of about 100 million.

KFCH sees exciting times ahead in India. The company plans to have a total of 17 outlets by the end of next year, including five in Mumbai that it would acquire from Yum! Brands.

KFC does not rule out the possibility of KFCH acquiring the remaining KFC franchisees in Mumbai. Apart from the five KFC outlets to be acquired from Yum!, there are now four stores owned by three other franchisees in Mumbai.

“Mumbai and Pune will be our launch pad into India. We’re here to stay for the noble and collective good of all,” he says.

Mumbai Chicken Pte Ltd chief executive officer Hezal Ahmad says KFCH’s outlets in India would be targeted mainly at the youth market. Mumbai Chicken is a member of KFCH.

He says it will also cater mainly to the high-income population which offers better profit margin.

KFCH has maintained its existing KFC image in its outlets in India. However, the interior of the restaurants has been designed to give the right ambience for the youth.

Hezal says total poultry consumption in India is growing by about 5.5% a year while consumption per person rose to 2.1kg in 2008 from 1.4kg in 2003.

However, the 2.1kg consumption per person is still much lower than Malaysia’s which stood at 38kg in 2008.

“The modern lifestyle, increasing number of fast-food outlets, higher number of youngsters and the availability of processed chicken products in the market are boosting chicken consumption in India,” he says.

According to Hezal, KFCH outlets in India will be located mostly in shopping malls with cinemas so as to get nearer to its target market and to capture a bigger traffic.

For example, its first and only outlet in Pune so far is within the Deccan Mall, which is a prime zone for eating and surrounded by 13 colleges.

Pune, a city about four hours drive from Mumbai, is home to about 90 colleges.

With a population of some 5.7 million, of which two million are students, it offered a huge youth market for KFCH to tap.

Hezal says KFCH outlets in India serve vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. The company is developing more non-vegetarian food to add to its menu.

Currently, non-vegetarian food contributes 95% of sales while vegetarian food 5%.

All KFCH outlets in India are run by Indians. Last year, the company sent 14 people from India to be trained as restaurant managers at its Malaysian outlets.


Expect KFC to bring home the Indian harvest soon!

Say Goodbye to Jill

Jill Clayburgh, that glowy beauty of the silver screen has passed on yesterday at the age of 66.

Jill specialised in roles as independent women emerging from the shadows of men.She was nominated for best-actress Oscars for her role in Paul Mazursky’s “An Unmarried Woman” in 1978 and for the comedy “Starting Over” opposite Burt Reynolds a year later.

In “An Unmarried Woman,” Clayburgh played Erica, a comfortable Manhattan wife and mother whose world comes apart when her husband, without warning, abandons her for a younger woman.

By the final reel, she embarks on a relationship with an artist, played by Alan Bates, but also finds her own inner strength, voice and independence.

Clayburgh won the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance.

Her roles during the late 1970s and early 1980s reflected the changes and challenges facing many women during that time.

“I guess people look at me and they think I’m a ladylike character,” she told the Times in 1982. “But it’s not what I do best. I do best with characters who are coming apart at the seams.”

Clayburgh also appeared frequently on Broadway and television. She received Emmy nominations for her performance as a prostitute in the 1975 TV movie “Hustling” and in 2005 for her role in “Nip/Tuck.” She also appeared as the mother of the title character in the hit series “Ally McBeal.”

“Her final film, “Bridesmaids,” has not yet been released.

We say au revoir to Jill.