KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index closed lower today, in line with most regional markets, as investors adjusted their risk exposure amid spiralling oil prices driven by the ongoing West Asia conflict, now in its second month. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) retreated by 24.75 points or 1.44 per cent to 1,687.90 from Friday’s close of 1,712.65. The market bellwether opened 10.57 points weaker at 1,702.08 and fluctuated between 1,682.79 and 1,702.38. The broader market was bearish, with decliners thumping advancers 956 to 371. A total of 373 counters were unchanged, 1,042 untraded and 134 suspended. Turnover expanded to 3.98 billion units worth RM4.85 billion from last Friday’s 2.97 billion units worth RM3.25 billion.
KUALA LUMPUR (March 13): The FBM KLCI closed down 74.68 points or 5.26% at 1,344.75 today after broad-based selling across Bursa Malaysia, as concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Saudi Arabia crude oil price war led to a substantial drop in global markets.
Such sentiment hit world equity and crude oil markets as investors weighed the economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and as the crude oil price war led to concerns of additional supply of the commodity.
UOB senior economist Alvin Liew and rates strategist Victor Young wrote in a note today that global policymakers are expected to respond to the challenge amid uncertainties over both the magnitude and duration of the growth shock.
"Therefore, monetary policy settings will be highly accommodative for the rest of 2020 in order to stave off liquidity breakdowns during periods of elevated market stress as well as to provide a base for the eventual recovery,” Liew and Young said.
Source: The Edge

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