{
  "id": 3932734,
  "title": "Hong Leong, RHB and UOB Kay Hian upgrade IHH to ‘buy’ after earnings beat estimates",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/hong-leong-rhb-and-uob-kay-hian-upgrade-ihh-to-buy-after-earnings",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-28T08:56:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
    "slug": "the-business-times-companies-markets",
    "url": "https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/hong-leong-rhb-and-uob-kay-hian-upgrade-ihh-buy-after-earnings-beat-estimates"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Three Singapore-based research banks - Hong Leong Bank, RHB (RHB Bank), and UOB Kay Hian - have upgraded their ratings on IHH Healthcare from a neutral stance to a \"buy\" recommendation after the company's second-quarter earnings surpassed expectations. IHH Healthcare is an integrated healthcare group that posted a 29.3% rise in net profit, reaching RM573 million (S$181 million) in the quarter ending June 30, 2026, compared to RM443 million in the same period last year.\n\nAnalysts at the three banks pointed to stronger profit margins in IHH's Malaysia operations, driven by cost optimization measures, as well as higher revenues in its Turkish operations. The recent decline in IHH's share price on Bursa Malaysia by 9.2% over a three-month period, while still 20% higher than a year ago, may help rekindle market interest in the stock, according to Hong Leong Investment Bank analyst Chee Kok Siang.\n\nThe banks' target prices for IHH Healthcare range from RM9.10 to RM9.25, with Hong Leong raising its target price to RM9.10 from a previous level. RHB and UOB Kay Hian have set target prices of RM9.54 and RM9.25, respectively. Among the analysts tracked by Bloomberg, 24 have rated IHH Healthcare as a \"buy\", while three have a \"hold\" rating, and none have a \"sell\" rating. The 12-month consensus target price for IHH Healthcare stands at RM10.23.",
  "summary": "The healthcare group posts a 29.3% rise in net profit to RM573 million for the second quarter",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}