Industrial, Data Center Demand Likely Malaysian Property Sector's Key Anchors — Market Talk

Malaysia's property sector in 2H could remain supported by sustained industrial and data-center demand, with Eco World Development and Sime Darby Property as the main beneficiaries, Affin Hwang IB analyst Nicholas Lim and Loong Chee Wei say in a note. They expect property launches to recover from a slow 1Q, although demand is likely to favor well-located projects linked to major infrastructure developments. Developers are also expected to focus on preserving margins amid higher construction, utility and infrastructure costs, they add. Affin Hwang maintains an overweight rating on Malaysian property sector, pegging Eco World Development, Sime Darby Property and UOA Development as its top picks. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)