KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 30): Maybank Kim Eng analyst Desmond Chng upgraded the recommendation on CIMB Group Holdings Bhd to buy from hold.

* Price target (PT) raised to RM6.70 from RM6.30. CIMB average PT is RM6.41.

* CIMB had 10 buys, 13 holds, 1 sell previously: Bloomberg data

* Analysts lowered their consensus one-year target price for the stock by 4.2 percent in the past three months. Forecasts range from RM5.40 to RM7.85. 

Performance Metrics

* Investors who followed Chng's recommendation would have received a 22 percent return in the past year, compared with the 2.3 percent return on the shares. 

* In the past seven years and six months, Maybank has rated CIMB hold six times, buy four times and sell three times. 

* The shares fell an average 2.3 percent in the periods rated hold, rose an average 4.5 percent in the periods rated buy and fell an average 7.4 percent in the periods rated sell.