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 (Jan 22): The FBM KLCI gained 4.32 points or 0.2% after the index erased losses in tandem with Asian shares. Reuters reported that Asian shares remained resilient despite the pullback in US shares after the the US government was forced to shut down as investors saw limited economic fallout from the standoff in the US capital.
"After all, people know this is just a political show. Neither Republicans nor Democrats can afford to keep dragging their feet for long ahead of mid-term elections this year," Masashi Murata, senior currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman was quoted as saying in Tokyo.
At Bursa Malaysia, the KLCI closed at 1,833.15 points at 5pm after falling to its intraday low of 1,825.86 points.
Across Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.03% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 0.43% after both indices erased intraday losses.
In Malaysia, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of research Vincent Lau told theedgemarkets.com that he believed the continuation of the stock market rally "has legs to run" until the country's 14th general election, which must be held by August 2018.
Today, Lau also noted that foreign fund flows into Malaysian shares are still strong although the level seemed to have gradually decreased in recent weeks. "Year-to-date, foreign investors are still net buyers," he said.
Across Bursa Malaysia today, trading volume was 4.62 billion shares worth RM2.87 billion. The most-active stock was Sumatec Resources Bhd which saw some 566 million shares traded. Sumatec shares rose one sen to 11.5 sen.
Source: The Edge
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