Monday, June 7, 2010

S&P Equity Research: Global growth remains intact

KUALA LUMPUR: S&P Equity Research says buying opportunities exist in Asia, especially for better-managed blue chips, but cautioned that risks associated with Eurozone debt and slowing demand may dampen earnings outlook.

In its 2010 Mid-Year Market Outlook issued on Monday, June 7, S&P Equity Research vice president Lorraine Tan notes that while current headline news are mostly negative, valuations are potentially attractive.

'Asian fiscal positions are relatively healthy and provide the region with greater flexibility should government spending programs need to be prolonged,' she said

Standard & Poor's forecast is that a double-dip recession is unlikely to happen in the global economy. S&P economists see a recovering U.S. economy at a rate that is faster than they had anticipated.

Eurozone growth, however, is likely to stay unchanged at 1.2% this year although a pick-up in private consumption globally and continued expansion in Europe's larger economies could help mitigate risk.

In terms of sectors, the report singled out Malaysian banks and healthcare.

"In the near term, we prefer to take a defensive stance although we advocate collection of some beaten down cyclical issues,' she said.

S&P Equity Research believes the flow of projects in Malaysia should continue to support local building materials and CONSTRUCTION [] firms.

The key risks include lingering concerns of sovereign debt problems in the Eurozone and bubbles that could emerge, particularly in China over non-performing loans and a risk that the government may engineer a harder landing to fend off inflation pressures.


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