HONG KONG, Aug 16, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Pentamaster International Limited (1665.HK) ("PIL" or "the Group") which is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited announced its interim financial results for the six months period ended 30 June 2021 ("1H2021") today. The Group recorded a revenue of MYR245.6 million, while its net profit stood at MYR55.7 million, showing an improvement of approximately 21.0% and 5.6% respectively from the corresponding period last year.

In 1H2021, the Group's revenue was contributed by both the ATE and FAS segments, with each constituting approximately 72.0% and 28.0% respectively of the Group's total revenue in the current period.

The ATE segment continued to contribute the larger portion of revenue and profit to the Group's results for the first half of 2021 at a revenue contribution rate of 72.0%. This segment recorded an increase in revenue of MYR39.2 million, representing a growth of 28.3%, to MYR177.6 million in 1H2021 as compared to the corresponding period in 2020. Given the continued recovery in the smartphone market with 5G capability and other incremental features, the electro-optical segment of the Group's business segment contributed MYR138.2 million in revenue for the 1H2021, representing a 53.8% growth as compared to 1H2020. The ATE segment also benefitted from the semiconductor industry where revenue from this business segment shown a growth of 37.7% as compared to 1H2020. Given the global automotive industry's production is wilting under pressure from the supply chain challenges since beginning of the year, the Group's revenue from the automotive segment witnessed an overall drop of 7.2% in 1H2021 as compared to 1H2020. However, the Group expects the revenue contribution from the automotive segment to rebound in the second half of the year given the momentum of the Group's current order book and as the production of the global automotive industry normalise. Overall, barring any major deterioration of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Group continues to witness structural growth within its electro-optical and automotive segments.

In 1H2021, revenue from the FAS segment increased by approximately 5.4% to MYR70.8 million as compared to MYR67.1 million recorded in the corresponding period last year. The FAS segment has continued to chalk growth in 1H2021 with the increasing demand for the Group's i-ARMS (intelligent Automated Robotic Manufacturing System) albeit at a lower growth tangent as project's complexity undertaken by FAS segment requires a longer project lead time for revenue recognition. The FAS segment was predominantly contributed by the consumer and industrial products segment as well as the medical devices segment, where deployment of the Group's proprietary i-ARMS was more prevalent within these segments. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the adoption and transition towards automation as concerns regarding social distancing and spread of the virus has forced manufacturing companies and businesses worldwide towards digital technologies. Against the backdrop of this automation trends, the Group will leverage on its competitive advantages to further broaden the capability of its automation manufacturing solutions and continue to grow its FAS segment.

Outlook

As 2021 remains an observance year with the ongoing threat of the pandemic, the Group has been confronting all sorts of uncertainties and volatilities in the form of supply chain constraint and disruptive logistics arrangement. Amid the challenges, the Group continuously put in place the necessary safety measures, operating procedures and system infrastructure to embrace the volatilities and uncertainties in an orderly sustainable manner to minimise disruption to its business operation. As the roll-out of vaccination is gathering pace globally and in Malaysia, the Group anticipates a more stable and favourable operating environment for its timely delivery commitment of projects on hand.

Despite having to endure the severe social and economic challenges presented by the pandemic, the situation is not all doom and gloom. Through the pandemic, the Group witnessed the emergence of new ways of working in a business environment where there is an accelerated pace towards the greater adoption of digital transformation in our daily lives. Within this context and in an encouraging development, the Group saw the order intake momentum gathering pace since the beginning of the year and such momentum continues to prevail as it enters the second half of the year on the back of several catalysts driving both its ATE and FAS segment. At present, with the growing adoption of digital technologies, which encompasses AI, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things ("IoT") which further compounded by the deepening application of 5G, optical sensing and electrification in the automotive industry, the Group is exposed to the rapid development of technological revolution and industrial transformation which enable the Group to seize the opportunities.

In general, the Group expects the demand level in its major markets in particular the electrooptical and automotive industry to improve. With the prevalence of optoelectronics and 3D sensing technology, further compounded by the pandemic situation, the Group's core products and solutions that cater for a wide range of smart sensors will become increasingly important to its customers. Additionally, demand from the automotive market is expected to continue to be strong for the Group following the increasing wave of development of automotive electrification and various technology advancements changing the automotive landscape. Given the Group's current exposure and product portfolio in the automotive industry encompassing a diverse area of the automotive test solution from front-end to back-end, the Group will be able to play a dominant role in this ecosystem. In respect of the Group's exposure in the medical segment, the Group is making progress in the prototyping stage of single-use medical devices which involves the intravenous catheters and pen needle and the timeline for ISO13485 certification by 2021 remains on track.

In view of the perceptible momentum from local companies in China to localise their production amid the rising geopolitical tensions, coupled with China's ambition to leapfrog to the upper echelons of technology and its initiative to funnel investment into integrated power module market, the Group's recent establishment of a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China, namely Pentamaster Technology (Jiangsu) Limited ("PT Jiangsu") serves part of the Group's Greater China expansion plans. The Group will leverage on its core competency and competitive advantage specifically in the electro-optical, automotive and medical segment to further capitalise on the demand for its customised test equipment in the region. Consequently, through PT Jiangsu, the Group hopes to reinforce its position in China and paves its way for more strategic opportunity.

While macroeconomic uncertainties may linger, the Group will continue to focus on its business fundamentals and capitalise on its financial wherewithal to strengthen its product portfolio and position in the industry. Barring any drastic deterioration of the current market conditions, the Group anticipates a better performance in 2021 and specifically, the Group expects its revenue to set another new record for the year. On top of the Group's focus on growing revenue, the Group strongly believes in attaining a sustainable business operation in terms of its profitability and prospect and such policy remains a top priority of the Group. On a longer term basis, the Group looks forward to deepening and diversifying its presence in high-growth industry such as automotive, IoT, industrial electronics, optoelectronics and medical where the Group stands to benefit with its breadth of equipment and solution offerings.

About Pentamaster International Limited

PIL (HKEX stock code: 1665) is a leading global supplier in providing automation technology and solutions to multinational manufacturers mainly in the semiconductor, automotive, electrical & electronics, medical devices and consumer industrial products sectors spanning APAC, North America and Europe. The Group's broad range of integrated automation products and solutions entails innovating, designing, manufacturing and installing automated equipment and/or automated manufacturing solutions. To learn more about PIL, please visit us at www.pentamaster.com.my

For media enquiries, please contact:
Pentamaster International Limited
Email: investor.relation@pentamaster.com.my

ICA Investor Relations (Asia) Limited
E-mail: pentamaster@icaasia.com

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HONG KONG, Aug 13, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Recently, Global Markets – GF Holdings (Hong Kong) Corporation Limited won two "Excellence Awards", namely "Structured Products (China Greater Bay Area ("CGBA")" and "Structured Products Provider of the Year (CGBA)", in "Financial Institution Awards 2021 (Securities Sector)" organized by Bloomberg Businessweek for its outstanding cross-border structured product capabilities and industry Influence. Bloomberg Businessweek has held the annual "Financial Institution Awards" for seven consecutive years, recognizing and awarding financial institutions with excellent market performances, growths, development and business strategy.

Global Markets – GF Hong Kong, which has won the excellence awards, is committed to building a professional platform for cross-border financial products focusing on the Greater Bay Area. It has launched a series of ground-breaking diversified cross-border structured products, leading the product innovation in the market. With the strengthening of connectivity in the CGBA, the market witnessed surging demand of Hong Kong and Mainland residents and institutions to make cross-border investment, and was thus in urgent need of a wider variety of cross-border financial products. Seizing the opportunity, Global Markets – GF Hong Kong, through its precise market positioning, forward-looking product design, effective execution, mobilized onshore & offshore core resources, and by working with its parent company and subsidiaries, has provided investors with one-stop cross-border investment and financing solutions across asset classes. Its product spectrum is rather wide and spans across multiple asset classes, including structured notes programme, asset securitization, fund-linked structured products, index and other derivatives. By providing tailored solutions through various cross-border channels such as cross-border total return swaps, QDII, QFII and Bond Connect, the solutions meet the diversified cross-border investment needs of domestic and foreign individual investors, and are of strategic importance to Greater Bay Area institutional investors operating in both onshore and offshore markets.

Mr. Chao Zeng, Head of Global Markets – GF Hong Kong, said "It is a great pleasure to see our achievements recognized by the industry's most renowned awards. Our team members have a vast knowledge and rich experience in both onshore and offshore financial markets. Some of them has fathered the creation of cross-border swap solutions, pioneering the blooming of cross-border structured products in China." Looking ahead, Mr. Zeng is confident that the Chinese financial institutions will further expand their presence in the cross-border market. He added, "The Global Markets – GF Hong Kong will continue to focus on cross-border business, by leveraging its resources, further enhancing product innovation and differentiating business strategies in accordance with customer demands. We'll deepen our wallet size in traditional finance, as well as expand our coverage to highly customised sectors, such as private equity funds, family trusts and Internet finance. Meanwhile, we'll also be more proactive and forward-looking in risk management, closely monitor the market movement, so as to safeguard and grow our valued customers' businesses."

About GF Securities Co. Ltd
Established in 1991, GF Securities Co., Ltd. is one of the first, full-service securities firms in China. The Company was successfully listed on the main boards of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (Stock code: 000776.SZ), and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock code: 1776.HK), in 2010 and 2015, respectively. Relying on excellent business performance, continuously improved risk management and quality services, the company achieves sustained and steady development, and is one of the most influential securities companies in China. The Company possesses industry-leading innovation capabilities and has built a diversified business portfolio serving various corporations, individuals, institutional investors, financial institutions and government clients. As of December 31, 2020, the Company operated 282 brokerage branches, covering 31 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions throughout China. For six consecutive years from 2015 to 2020, GF Securities ranked in the forefront of "Hurun's Top Brands List" amongst listed Chinese securities companies. The Company is actively committed to social responsibility and caring, focusing on education and poverty alleviation through "GF Securities Social Charity Foundation", and as a result has enjoyed a continuously growing reputation and an influential brand.

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HONG KONG, Aug 12, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Along with changes in the domestic and foreign regulatory environments and the policy reform of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), the Hong Kong market becomes increasingly attractive to some China-based US-listed companies. The return of China-based overseas-listed companies has become a trend now. Li Auto Inc (2015.HK) is among the three major China-based overseas-listed NEV companies listing on HKEX today through a dual primary listing, after Xpeng Motors Inc (9868.HK) was listed in Hong Kong on July 7. The IPO is jointly sponsored by Goldman Sachs and China International Capital Corporation (CICC), with UBS as the financial advisor.

Advanced Smart Automobile Solutions Drive Rapid Sales Growth

Li Auto Inc, incorporated in 2015, is a Chinese NEV (new energy passenger vehicle) automaker, specializing in designing, developing, manufacturing, and sales of premium smart electric vehicles. On July 30, 2020, Li Auto Inc was listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol LI.

Li ONE, as Li Auto's first extended-range electric passenger vehicle (EREV), is a six-seat large premium electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) equipped with the Company's independently developed range extension system and advanced smart vehicle solutions. An EREV is purely electric-driven by its electric motor, but its energy source and power come from both its battery pack and range extension system. With its integrated powertrain system, Li ONE delivers a total NEDC range of 1,080 kilometers. Meanwhile, this model's energy can be replenished by slow charging, fast charging, and refueling. Li ONE can operate even when users have no access to charging infrastructure, thereby completely eliminating range anxiety.

Advanced technology not only improves product quality, but also significantly promotes the Company's sales. Data after the hearing showed that the total number of vehicles that the Company delivered in the first quarter of 2021 was 12,579, representing an increase of 334.4% YoY. The delivery volume in the first half of this year already represented around 92% of that in the previous year. As of July 31, 2021, total deliveries in 2021 reached 38,743, bringing cumulative deliveries of Li ONE to 72,340 since its market debut. In 2020, Li ONE was recognized as the best-selling new energy SUV model in China with a 9.7% market share according to the CIC Report.

Multi-faceted Comprehensive Layout of Dual Listing to Enhance Competitiveness

Li Auto is accelerating to fully develop its R&D, capacity, and channels, while maintaining the current business. Currently, the Company is developing the X platform, which succeeds the existing EREV platform for Li ONE and is equipped with the next-generation EREV powertrain system. The Company plans to launch the first product on the X platform, a full-size premium extended-range electric SUV – in 2022, and two additional SUVs on the platform in 2023.

In terms of BEV models, Li Auto is investing significantly in the HPC (High-power Charging) BEV technologies, and developing two platforms, Whale and Shark, for its HPC BEVs. Starting from 2023, the Company plans to launch at least two new HPC BEV models every year.

In regard to autonomous driving, Li Auto is strengthening R&D and investing significantly in its proprietary autonomous driving technologies. It is expected that all the new models of the Company will be equipped with necessary hardware compatible with in-house developed, future Level 4 autonomous driving as a standard configuration from 2022. Furthermore, the Company will continue to optimize its autonomous driving solutions leveraging its full-stack proprietary software development capabilities.

China has become the world's largest NEV market. In recent years, the growth of NEV sales volume has surpassed that of the ICE vehicles in China. According to the CIC Report, the NEV sales volume in China increased from 300,000 in 2016 to 1.2 million in 2020, representing a CAGR of 41.7%. In 2020, the NEV sales volume only accounted for 5.8% of the total passenger vehicle sales volume, implying massive future growth potential.

It is expected that the NEV sales volume in China will continue to rise at the CAGR of 35.8% from 2020 to 2025, driven by favorable policies, constantly developing auto technology, a rapid decrease in battery costs, and higher popularity of NEVs among consumers (due to a deeper understanding of intelligent technology and the Internet and demand growth), the CIC Report showed.

Li Auto Inc, as one of the top three Chinese new auto brands, choosing dual primary listing in Hong Kong, will expand the financing channel and acquire sustainable financial support. The primary listing of Li Auto offers a lot of capital reserves to future technology development and product R&D in order to further reinforce its competitiveness and consolidate and raise its market share.

Source: South China Morning Post

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HONG KONG, Aug 10, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Shougang Concord Century Holdings Limited ("Shougang Century", together with its subsidiaries, "the Group"; stock code: 0103.HK) is pleased to announce that, based on its preliminary assessment of the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Group for the six months ended 30 June 2021, the Group expects a profit after tax of not less than HK$45,000,000, at least 25% more than that of HK$35,863,000 for the same period of previous year. Such increase was primarily attributable to the material increase in sales volume of steel cords.

Shougang Century is primarily engaged in manufacturing of steel cords for radial tyres, sawing wires and other wire products. The Group's two large production bases, which are located in Zhejiang Province and Shandong Province, produce more than 200,000 tonnes of steel cords in total every year. In 2019, the Group kicked off an expansion plan in its Tengzhou factory and invested in new brass wire production facilities to add a further 100,000 tonnes of steel cord production capacity. As the construction progress is satisfactory, the Group is building towards its goal to become an enterprise commanding an annual manufacturing capacity in excess of 300,000 tonnes of high-quality steel cords.

Mr. SU Fanrong, Chairman and Managing Director of Shougang Century said "In the first half of 2021, with the pandemic outbreak generally being contained in China, industries are gradually recovering. Driven by the robust demand on domestic transportation, tyres witnessed a rigid demand, significantly fueling sales of steel cords. As a result, the Group's products have been in short supply. To tap the huge market of steel cords for radial tyres in the domestic market, the Group has been striving to enhance its steel cord production capacity in recent years, with an aim of capturing market opportunities in the fast-growing market, meanwhile consolidating its leading position in the domestic steel cord market. Looking ahead, we endeavour to produce consistently high-quality steel cords for radial tyres, sawing wires and other wire products. Adopting a multi-pronged approach to improve our core competencies, we will leverage the enhanced capacity to satisfy our customers' needs and further expand our customer base, in hopes of creating better returns for our shareholders and investors."

About Shougang Concord Century Holdings Limited
Shougang Concord Century Holdings Limited (0103.HK) is primarily engaged in manufacturing of steel cords for radial tyres, sawing wires and other wire products. The Group possesses two large production bases in Zhejiang Province and Shandong Province, together producing more than 200,000 tonnes of steel cords annually. Having been delivering products of a consistently premium quality over the years, the Group supplies products to over 20 countries worldwide and has won wide recognition from international tyres manufacturers. Listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since April 1992, the Group has a strong shareholder base with substantial shareholders including Shougang Group Co., Ltd. (a state-owned enterprise under the direct supervision of the Beijing State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission), a Fortune 500 company, and its controlled corporations, Bekaert Group and Li Ka Shing Foundation Limited. Through its longstanding dedication to purveying premium quality steel cords and wire products, the Group aims to become one of the top three independent manufacturers of steel cord industry in China.

For more information, please visit: http://www.shougangcentury.com.hk



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HONG KONG, Aug 10, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The HKUST-Sino One-Million-Dollar Entrepreneurship 2021 sponsored by GF Securities Co., Ltd. ("GF Securities", stock code: 1776.HK; 000776.SZ) for 5 consecutive years was successfully held recently. After fierce competition, the winner of the competition was granted to The Able Company, which collects surplus and unused bread from Hong Kong bakeries and restaurants and turns them into local craft beer, and the "GF Innovation Award" sponsored by GF Securities was granted to Solid-X Limited, which focuses on the development of next-generation solid-state batteries.

Mr. Shen Minggao, the General Manager of GF Holdings (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., a Hong Kong subsidiary of GF Securities, said, "This is the fifth year that GF Securities has participated in the competition. As a global investment bank rooted in the Greater Bay Area, GF Securities is committed to making full use of domestic and overseas capital markets to provide assistance to outstanding companies at different stages of development, we will also continue to fully support outstanding entrepreneurs, promote the development of start-ups, and help more young people realize their ideas and ambitions on the road to entrepreneurship. ". Mr. Shen also said, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has initiated about 30 sustainability-related projects which is believed that universities can become a laboratory for exploration and sustainable development. It is gratified to see that the school also wants to cultivate students' ability to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. The shift from traditional education to active experience teaching allows students to acquire skills to deal with the difficulties and challenges in their careers.

HKUST-Sino One-Million-Dollar Millions Entrepreneurship 2021 was established in 2011 and has been held for 11 sessions. As the platinum sponsor of the competition for 5 consecutive years, GF Securities fully supports innovation and entrepreneurship of youths, and has established the "GF Innovation Award" for 3 consecutive years to encourage and commend outstanding entrepreneurial teams in the field of innovation. The competition has expanded from a single-region match in Hong Kong to other regions in China since 2016, and has become a well-known entrepreneurial competition in Greater China. The competition regions of this year also include Macau, Beijing, Foshan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and the Yangtze River Delta. The top 3 teams from Hong Kong will compete with the winning teams from the other 6 regions for the exclusive million-dollar championship.

This competition was mainly held online in four rounds, attracting a total of 185 participating teams, the entrepreneurship plans focused on hotly discussed topics such as waste reduction, smart technology, and financial technology. The winner of the "GF Innovation Award" of the competition is Solid-X Limited. The team focuses on the development of next generation solid-state batteries and aims to provide a safe, reliable and sustainable energy storage solution for business and society, outerperformed other teams in the fierce competition. The team of Solid-X Limited expressed that they are very happy to receive the award and hope that the battery can be launched on the market as soon as possible.

As a sponsor of the competition for many years, GF Securities participated in the entire competition and provided support beyond funding. For this competition, Mr. Zhou Hang, Vice President of the Private Equity division of GF Investment (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., participated as an adjudicator in the final, providing professional advice and guidance to the participating teams. Mr. Zhou said, "It is a great honor to represent GF Securities as an adjudicator of the competition. As a company that focuses on equity investment in domestic and overseas SME and is committed to assisting enterprises in rapid growth through capital and management, GF Investment (Hong Kong) has always concerned about outstanding start-ups in various fields. This year's competition has been very intense which gathered many excellent entrepreneurial teams, fully felt the enthusiasm of entrepreneurship of Hong Kong youths and reflected that Hong Kong is a place full of entrepreneurial opportunities.".

As one of the most influential securities companies in China's capital market, GF Securities has always exerted its influence and devoted itself to committing to charity with actual deeds. In China, GF Securities has also carried out the campaign of "Micro-entrepreneurs in Universities" for 7 consecutive years through "GF Securities Social Charity Foundation", and it attracted the participation of the "Shanghai Stock Exchange Charity Foundation" this year. In the past 6 years, GF Securities has already donated RMB5.5 million in the support funds for 300 projects through the campaign. There are currently more than 200 micro-entrepreneurship tutors and nearly 40 high schools, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, have profoundly participated in the campaign, impacting tens of millions of people through various online and on-site activities. This campaign aims to increase support for the scientific and technological innovation achievements of youths, encourage more young students to actively participate in innovative and entrepreneurial projects, and promote the integrated development of industry and university. In the future, GF Securities will always adhere to its community motto of "Gathering love and giving from the heart", actively fulfil its social responsibilities, and fully to promote the vigorous development of entrepreneurship of domestic and foreign youths.

About GF Securities Co. Ltd
Established in 1991, GF Securities Co., Ltd. is one of the first, full-service securities firms in China. The Company was successfully listed on the main boards of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (Stock code: 000776.SZ), and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock code: 1776.HK), in 2010 and 2015, respectively. Relying on excellent business performance, continuously improved risk management and quality services, the company achieves sustained and steady development, and is one of the most influential securities companies in China. The Company possesses industry-leading innovation capabilities and has built a diversified business portfolio serving various corporations, individuals, institutional investors, financial institutions and government clients. As of December 31, 2020, the Company operated 282 brokerage branches, covering 31 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions throughout China. For six consecutive years from 2015 to 2020, GF Securities ranked in the forefront of "Hurun's Top Brands List" amongst listed Chinese securities companies. The Company is actively committed to social responsibility and caring, focusing on education and poverty alleviation through "GF Securities Social Charity Foundation", and as a result has enjoyed a continuously growing reputation and an influential brand.


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HONG KONG, Aug 9, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Value Convergence Holdings Limited ("VC Holdings", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; Stock Code: 0821.HK) announced that, based on its preliminary assessment of the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Group for the six months ended 30 June 2021 ("Reporting Period"), the Group is expected to turnaround and record an unaudited consolidated profit attributable to owners of the Company of approximately HK$100 million for the Reporting Period as compared to that of a loss of approximately HK$55 million for the same period last year.

The turnaround is mainly attributable to the increase in revenue of approximately HK$10 million, mainly from interest income generated from margin financing and money lending businesses. Meanwhile, a net realised and unrealised gain in financial assets at fair value through profit or loss of approximately HK$79 million was recorded, as compared with the net realised and unrealised loss of approximately HK$22 million for the same period last year. Last but not least, reversal of impairment loss on receivable of approximately HK$29 million was recorded in the Reporting Period, as compared with the additional impairment loss of approximately HK$12 million for the same period last year.

Mr. Peter Fu, Chairman and Executive Director of Value Convergence Holdings Limited, said: "Over the years, VC Holdings has always been committed to providing premier financial services and products to its customers in the Great China region. In the first half of the year, economic activities have been gradually recovering while the pandemic outbreak is now being contained in most of the countries, boosting investor confidence. Fueled by positive factors in the market, the financial market performed well, and the Group recorded a significant increase in revenue when its several businesses achieved breakthrough. Looking ahead, we endeavour to strengthen our financial services, further consolidating our existing business and enhancing user experience through integrating SaaS (Software as a Service) and FinTech in the securities industry, so as to address customer needs, as well as further enhancing customer base and market share, in hopes of creating better returns for our shareholders and investors."

About VC Holdings Limited
Value Convergence Holdings Limited (Stock code: 0821.HK) was listed on the GEM board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2001, and completed transfer of listing to the Main Board in 2008. Being a well-established financial services group committed to delivering premier financial services and products in the Great China region, the Group's services include (i) provision of financial services comprising securities, futures and options brokering and dealing, financing services, corporate finance and other advisory services, asset management and insurance brokerage; (ii) proprietary trading; and (iii) sale and distribution of healthcare products. Aiming to enhance user experience through integrating SaaS and FinTech in the securities industry, the Group acquired SaaS-related software and subsidiary in 2021, further consolidating its business and expanding its clientele.

For more details, please visit www.vcgroup.com.hk.


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HONG KONG, Aug 3, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Activation Group Holdings Limited ("Activation" or the "Company", collectively, the "Group", stock code: 9919), a provider of integrated marketing solutions in Greater China, is pleased to announce its unaudited 2021 interim results. The Group has achieved a significant improvement, with revenue increasing substantially by approximately 436.5% to RMB385.2 million and profit to RMB38.5 million (2020 Interim: loss of RMB20.0 million). Profit attributable to owners of the Company was RMB35.5 million (2020 Interim: loss of RMB19.3 million). Basic earnings per share were RMB4.80 cents, compared with a loss per share of RMB2.47 cents in 2020 Interim.

The Board has declared the payment of an interim dividend of HK1.03 cents and an interim special dividend of HK6.93 cents for the six months ended 30 June 2021 (2020: nil).

Due to the rapid rise in luxury consumption in mainland China and the recovery of the Hong Kong market, the Group's Experiential Service experienced exponential growth. Revenue generated from associated services has significantly increased by 1,286.5%, rising from RMB20.0 million in 2020 Interim to RMB277.3 million in 2021 Interim. Activation Events has launched numerous events, including CARTIER "Trees" Exhibition, GUCCI "Aria" Collection Launch Show, GUCCI Garden "Archetypes" Exhibition, DIOR 2021 FALL Fashion Show, CINDY CHAO "The Art Jewel" Exhibition, MERCEDES-AMG GLA 35 & GLB 35 Extraordinary Journey, etc. as well as other large-scale projects in the first half of 2021.

During the review period, the Group upgraded its original digital marketing offering to a comprehensive digital campaign offering which includes the MCN and Target Media Services. Revenue generated from such services increased by 66.2% to RMB78.3 million in 2021 Interim. With respect to public relations services, revenue generated from this segment surged by 427.0% to RMB19.5 million. During the interim report period, the group is the retainer agency of numerous brands, including MAXMARA, CLARINS, GIVENCHY BEAUTY, SK-II, TORY BURCH and LOEWE; the group has also launched quite a few digital marketing campaigns, for instance LEGO CNY Digital Campaign, BALABALA "Boundless Dream" Campaign and DIOR 2021 J'adore Infinissime MP Project.

During the interim period, Activation organized the 2021 Criterium Ride Race in Lin-gang, Shanghai, which attracted the participation of more than 2,000 riders. The Company is planning to organize two to three more events in the second half year. Revenue generated from this service significantly increased by 910.0% to RMB10.1 million as at 2021 Interim. Separately, the Group has signed two business cooperation agreements pertaining to its IP business, which include: (i) FISE (the world renowned X-games league under Hurricane Group); and (ii) Jiu Shi Sports Group (one of largest state-owned sports groups that hold the exclusive rights to Formula 1, ATP Shanghai 1000) to co-develop an IP that will be owned by both parties in China.

Mr. Steve Lau Kam Yiu, Joint-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Activation, said, "After the impact of the pandemic in the first half of 2020, China's economy has achieved rapid recovery and rebound, and this trend continues in 2021. As a result of economic recovery, and coupled with the impact of inflation, high-end consumption has been significantly stimulated, which has also driven the rapid growth of the luxury marketing industry. As an industry leader in the luxury experiential industry, our experiential marketing and public relations businesses have benefited greatly and achieved significant growth. The Group's investment in digital marketing in recent years has started to bear fruits. The next step in the Group's strategy will be to develop digital marketing technology and e-commerce, and to provide all-inclusive e-commerce services. We will further improve our capabilities and teams in e-commerce operations, and hope to integrate offline and online consumer data; constantly improve and amass data on consumer behavior and preferences, particularly on mid-to high-end brand consumers; assist brands in making operational decisions; enhance the strategic value and stickiness of the Group with such brands, and ultimately, to share our profits from the incremental rise in e-commerce sales."

About Activation Group Holdings Limited
Activation Group Holdings Limited is a leading Interactive Data Performance Marketing Group for Fashion Brands in Greater China, offering experiential marketing, digital and brand communication, and public relations services, digital marketing, e-commerce services as well as IP operations etc. It is the largest experiential marketing company serving luxury and trendy brands in Greater China, claiming a 7% share of the market. Its shares were listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on January 16, 2020. All businesses of the Company are driven by interactive data performance and the Company has kept accelerating the comprehensive deployment of its digital marketing capability, including setting up the MCN organization, providing effective marketing and live e-commerce services to brands, thereby build a closed loop – marketing to sales – system.



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