KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index rebounded from earlier losses to close at its intraday high on Wednesday, gaining 0.27 per cent in late trading as buying interest returned to selected heavyweights. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) advanced 4.48 points to 1,676.83 from Tuesday’s close of 1,672.35. The benchmark index opened 0.88 of-a-point lower at 1,671.47 and subsequently hit a low of 1,665.94 during the mid-morning session before gaining momentum toward closing. On the broader market, losers led gainers by 565 to 512, while some 526 counters were unchanged, 1,046 untraded, and 10 suspended. Turnover improved to 2.73 billion units worth RM2.76 billion versus Tuesday’s 2.66 billion units worth RM2.76 billion. Dealers said that investors were cautious following geopolitical developments in Asia.
KUALA LUMPUR (June 19): The FBM KLCI fell 28.07 points or 1.61% while the ringgit weakened as the escalating US-China trade spat hit global markets. Analysts said foreign institutional investors sold Malaysian assets on expectation of further US interest rate hikes.
At Bursa Malaysia, the KLCI finished at its intraday low at 1,715.36 points. In currency markets, the ringgit weakened to 4.0030 against a strengthening US dollar at the time of writing.
Inter-Pacific Securities Sdn Bhd head of research Pong Teng Siew told theedgemarkets.com: “KLCI fell today mainly due to blue chip stocks on Bursa Malaysia being heavily sold by foreign funds.”
Pong said Inter-Pacific expects foreign selling of Malaysian assets to continue until the later part of this year in anticipation of US interest rate hikes.
Asian shares fell today. In China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite fell 3.78% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 2.78%. Elsewhere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.77% while South Korea’s Kospi was 1.52% lower.
Reuters reported that Asian stocks sank on Tuesday and Shanghai shares plunged to near two-year lows as US President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on Chinese goods in an escalating tit-for-tat trade war between the world's two biggest economies.
It was reported that Trump threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff on US$200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting a swift warning from Beijing of retaliation, as the trade conflict between the world's two biggest economies quickly escalated. It was retaliation, Trump said, for China's decision to raise tariffs on US$50 billion in US goods, which came after Trump announced similar tariffs on Chinese goods on Friday.
Source: The Edge
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