MAM
Media IPO makes a splash at Malaysian bourses
MUMBAI: Malaysian media magnate Ananda Krishnan’s pay TV company, Astro All Asia Networks, has raised $526 million (M$ 2 billion) through its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. The issue is said to be 8.16 times oversubscribed.
According to a company statement, the funds so raised are slated to go towards debt repayment. Market analysts have pegged the offer to debut at a 10 per cent premium on 28 October, which is when the shares will be first listed on the Exchange.
According to Malaysian Issuing House (MIH), 111,817 applications had been received against 241.21 million IPO shares for Astro All Asia Networks’ public tranche and 88,139 applications were received for 245.41 million shares from eligible subscribers and retailers. Astro had offered 425 million shares to foreign and Malaysian institutional and selected investors and 83.4 million shares were up for retail investors. The IPO’s retail portion was reportedly fixed at RM3.65 a share and its institutional portion at RM4.06 a share.
As per a Financial Times report, about 60 per cent of the IPO had been offered to foreign institutions, 24 per cent to local funds, and the balance to retail and employees.
Although according to earlier estimates, the issue was deemed oversubscribed by over 15 times, the final figures from MIH reflected market concerns about Astro’s earnings growth potential. The IPO is now being said to be 8.16 times oversubscribed – around half way through initial expectations.
Since Astro is not considered a high-yield stock, investors are more interested in the satellite operator’s earnings growth, which would depend largely on whether the media group can rope in the predominant Malay population. For now, most of Astro’s 1.1 million subscribers comprise the Chinese and Indian communities, which are nearly a quarter of all Malaysian households.
Astro – Malaysia’s sole pay-TV operator – has been offering satellite services for the last seven years and operates 46 pay channels that compete with five free-to-air broadcasters. As per its financial results in the prospectus, Astro had posted a net profit of RM293.11 million for the year till January 2003; but for the first six months till July this year, it made a net loss of RM30.77 million.
Brands
Hyundai launches updated Ioniq 5 with 84 kWh battery, 690 km range
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh, adds design, tech and safety upgrades.
MUMBAI: Charge it up, stretch it out, Hyundai’s latest electric upgrade is going the distance, quite literally. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has introduced an updated version of its Ioniq 5, packing in a larger 84.0 kWh battery that delivers a claimed range of up to 690 km (ARAI-certified), marking a significant leap in everyday usability for its flagship electric SUV.
Built on Hyundai’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the refreshed IONIQ 5 aims to balance performance with practicality, reducing range anxiety while making long-distance electric travel more viable. The upgrade builds on a model that has already secured global recognition, including the World Car of the Year title.
The changes aren’t just under the skin. On the outside, the SUV gets a sharper, more futuristic look with redesigned front and rear bumpers, new skid plates, sporty alloy wheels, a revised rear spoiler and updated V-garnish lighting, all while retaining its signature Parametric Pixel design.
Inside, Hyundai has focused on making the experience more intuitive. The cabin now features a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel with illuminated pixel elements, dual 12.3-inch displays, and a reworked wireless charging pad integrated with physical controls for seat functions small tweaks that aim to improve day-to-day usability.
On the tech front, the IONIQ 5 gets Hyundai’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC), Controller Over-the-Air (C-OTA) updates, and now supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. New additions such as Active Sound Design and in-car payment integration for EV charging reflect a push towards a more seamless, connected ownership experience. Remote immobilisation via Bluelink has also been introduced as an added security layer.
Safety sees incremental upgrades too, with features like Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (Rear) and side parking distance warnings enhancing manoeuvrability in tight urban spaces.
The updated IONIQ 5 is available in four colour options Gravity Gold Matte, Midnight Black Pearl, Titan Grey and Optic White with an Obsidian Black interior theme.
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh (ex-showroom), the new IONIQ 5 positions itself as a more rounded offering, less about futuristic promise, and more about making electric mobility fit seamlessly into everyday life.
