Six Malaysian firms make it to Forbes Asia's Best Over A Billion list

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 28): Malaysia's Batu Kawan Bhd, Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd, IHH Healthcare Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd and Public Bank Bhd were among the Forbes Asia's inaugural Best Over A Billion list.

In a statement today, Forbes Asia said the Best Over A Billion list spotlights 200 top-performing listed companies across the Asia-Pacific region with revenues of US$1 billion (RM4.21 billion) or more.

It said the new list complements the long-established Best Under A Billion list of the 200 best-performing, small- and mid-sized companies in the Asia-Pacific region with less than US$1 billion in revenue.

It explained that together, the two lists now comprehensively cover all of Asia-Pacific's listed companies, selecting the best 400 from the smallest to the biggest, using US$1 billion in sales as a dividing line.

Forbes Asia said from a universe of 3,200 listed companies in the Asia-Pacific region, candidates for the Best Over A Billion list are evaluated based on more than a dozen metrics including their average five-year sales, operating income growth, return on capital, and projected growth over the next one to two years.

It said those having the highest composite score earned a place in the final list of 200.

The magazine said the biggest companies on the list by market value hail from the technology sector and the region's largest markets.

It said they include internet behemoths Alibaba and Tencent, as well as semiconductor giants Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and SK Hynix.

Meanwhile, Fast Retailing, the operator of the Uniqlo apparel chain founded by Japanese billionaire Tadashi Yanai, is among the 10 largest companies on the list by market value.

Forbes Asia said industries that dominated the list include retail, real estate, banking, transportation as well as food and beverage manufacturing.

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