SenseCents

STOCK NEWS & ANALYSIS
TANAMAS’s net profit surged 329% to RM10.12 million in the second quarter ended Dec 31, 2007 (2QFY08) from RM2.36 million in 2QFY07, on the back of higher crude palm oil prices.

Lin Yun Ling, the managing director of Malaysian builder GAMUDA has sold 70 million shares in the company, cutting his stake to 1.7 per cent from 5.2 per cent. Lin Yun Ling sold the shares through Credit Suisse for “estate-planning purposes” and remained very optimistic about Gamuda’s prospects, the firm said in a statement. Lin pledged to retain his remaining 34.7 million shares, or 1.73 per cent of the firm, for at least 18 months, Gamuda said. “I continue to be very optimistic about the prospects of Gamuda,” Lin said in the statement. “I intend to remain in my present management position for the foreseeable future.”

FINANCIAL NEWS
Fed Saw Need for `Relatively Low' Rates for Some Time
Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve officials, voting for the fastest easing of monetary policy in two decades, said ``relatively low'' interest rates may be needed for some time to counteract a faltering U.S. economy.

The U.S. has moved closer to a recession since policy makers last met, with payrolls shrinking, manufacturing stalling and the housing market showing no sign of recovery. At the same time, some officials also considered that a reversal of the rate cuts may be needed once the economy stabilizes, the minutes showed.

Some members noted ``when prospects for growth had improved, a reversal of a portion of the recent easing actions, possibly even a rapid reversal, might be appropriate,'' said the minutes, released in Washington today. Still, policy makers didn't see their rate cut as adding to inflation pressures given the weakness in growth. ``Members agreed that inflation was likely to moderate in coming quarters.''

Policy makers cut the benchmark rate by a half-point on Jan. 30, eight days after an emergency reduction of 0.75 percentage point. The Federal Open Market Committee has lowered the rate from 5.25 percent since September, and some traders anticipate further reductions. Stocks gained and the dollar pared its advance after the minutes.

MY SWING COUNTERS
(Each thousand shares represents a transaction at different price and time. It is not the volume actually been traded.)
Code/Price/Date/#Shares/Closing/Remarks
Annjoo/3.22/0219/2000/3.18/ hold
DBHD/0.3875/0906/4000/0.30/ hold
Dialog/1.639/1009/8000/1.55/ hold
Foutain/0.1475/0105/6000/0.00/ suspended
Gamuda/4.18/0221/1000/4.20/new buy
Idaman/0.3287/1025/4000/0.165/ hold
K1/0.9280/0411/4000/1.01/ hold
MEMS/0.175/0214/1000/0.165/ hold
MVest/0.804/0719/5000/0.76/ hold
Nscom/0.05/0713/1000/0.00/ suspended
Palette/0.1050/0829/4000/0.07/ hold
Putera/0.56/1115/3000/0.46/ hold
SKPRes/0.1633/1102/3000/0.145/ hold
Tebrau/1.2251/0822/4000/1.03/ hold