KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia's key index closed at an intraday high today, supported by continued buying interest even as renewed geopolitical tensions and a weaker overnight lead from Wall Street following the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) decision to stand pat on interest rates weighed on broader sentiment. The Fed has decided to hold rates steady for the fifth consecutive meeting, with the Federal Funds Rate unchanged between 3.50 per cent and 3.75 per cent. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.84 points to 1,720.40 from yesterday’s close of 1,715.56. The benchmark index, which opened 1.14 points lower at 1,714.42, hit its lowest level of 1,710.69 in early trade before gaining momentum for the rest of the day. However, the broader market was negative with losers outpacing gainers 581 to 411, while 612 counters were unchanged, 1,173 untraded, and 87 suspended. Turnover declined to 2.49 billion units valued at RM2.25 billion from ...
In a statement today, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said the decision to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 3.25% was made at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting today. This is in line with analysts' forecasts and with the economy continuing to be affected by the weak external environment.
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| Bank Negara Malaysia keeps key interest rate at 3.25% |
"At the current level of overnight policy rate (OPR), the stance of monetary policy remains accommodative and supportive of economic activity," it said.
"The committee recognises that there are heightened risks in the global economic and financial environment. These risks are being carefully monitored to assess their implications on macroeconomic stability and the prospects of the Malaysian economy," it added.
"Domestic demand therefore remains the main driver of growth. However, private consumption is expected to moderate as households continue adjusting to the higher cost of living amidst an uncertain economic environment," it noted.
"The prospects are for the economy to expand within the region of 4.5% to 5.5% this year and 4% to 5% in 2016. It is, however, recognised that the downside risks to growth remain high," it said.
BNM expects inflation to remain relatively stable for the rest of 2015, as the impact on overall inflation has been limited by the lower commodity prices and the generally low global inflation despite the weaker ringgit.
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