KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): Analysts foresee a stronger recovery path for the automotive sector after the government announced a six-month extension to the new vehicle sales tax exemption until June 30, 2021.
Kenanga Research’s analyst Wan Mustaqim Wan Ab Aziz upgraded the automotive sector to overweight from neutral as he envisaged stronger recovery in 2021 with total industry volume (TIV) target at 585,000 units.
He opined that the news is a positive surprise for automakers and consumers which should prompt a buying frenzy over the next few months and relieve back-logged bookings.
“We believe the new volume-driven launches in 4QCY20 (i.e. Proton X50, Honda City and Nissan Almera) could help improve consumer sentiment with back-logged bookings to overflow into 2021 and boosted by the extension of sales and services tax (SST) exemption, seasonal promotions and new launches in the 2H (second half) of the year,” he said.