Key Takeaways Renewed US-Iran tensions pushed Brent crude briefly above US$80 , reigniting concerns over global energy supplies. Despite geopolitical uncertainty, Wall Street avoided a sharp sell-off , suggesting investors believe the conflict remains manageable for now. Higher oil prices have revived expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike , as markets worry about renewed inflation. Technology stocks remained relatively resilient , showing that AI continues to provide underlying support for equities. The next move in oil prices could determine whether market volatility returns. Market Insight When news broke that the US had launched fresh strikes on Iran , investors immediately rushed into the oil market. Brent crude briefly climbed above US$80 a barrel , as fears grew that escalating tensions could disrupt supplies through the Strait of Hormuz , one of the world's busiest energy shipping routes. Yet the reaction in equities was far more measured. Although the S...
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 13): The FBM KCLI closed 4.79 points or 0.27% lower today, as regional exchanges turned in a mixed performance.
The benchmark index had opened at 1,743.14 points and climbed to its intra-day high of 1,746.72 points in morning trade, before ending the day at its intra-day low of 1,737.49 points.
At closing bell, Bursa Malaysia decliners led gainers at 594 against 319 respectively. A total of 2.89 billion shares worth RM2.24 billion exchanged hands.
Top decliners were Petronas Gas Bhd, KESM Industries Bhd, and PMB Technology Bhd while top gainers for the day were Petronas Dagangan Bhd, Hengyuan Refining Company Bhd and Vitrox Corp Bhd.
Analysts said there is a general air of uncertainty across Bursa Malaysia amid broader regional market weakness.
“The Asian markets are quite mixed for various reasons. Several exchanges are quite volatile, such as in Australia and South Korea. It's the same in Europe and the US. Based on this sentiment we can expect spillover effects here in Malaysia,” AmInvestment Bank Bhd analyst Lim Sae Wai told theedgemarkets.
Lim opined that the Japanese stock market went overboard recently, thus justifying its correction, while Australia shares are currently weighed down by political uncertainties amid the dual citizenship fiasco in its Parliament.
The Nikkei 225 closed at its lowest since Oct 31 at 22,380.99 points, down 1.32% or 300.43 points. Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi slid 0.5% or 12.6 points to end at 2,530.35 points due to losses in manufacturing names.
Source: The Edge
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