KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
The US trade deficit in goods narrowed in June amid a broad rebound in exports, but it likely remained a drag on economic growth in the second quarter.
Key Points:
Trade Deficit:
- The goods trade gap contracted by 2.5% to US$96.8 billion (RM452.4 billion), according to the Commerce Department's Census Bureau.
Exports and Imports:
- Goods exports increased by 2.5% to US$172.3 billion, led by a 4.9% surge in food shipments and a 3.6% rise in capital goods exports. Industrial supplies, motor vehicles, and parts exports also saw strong increases.
- Imports of goods rose by 0.7% to US$269.2 billion. Consumer goods imports shot up by 3.3%, and capital goods imports advanced by 2.6%. However, imports of industrial supplies, food, and motor vehicles fell.
Economic Impact:
- Despite the narrowing trade deficit, economists estimate that trade subtracted as much as 1.4 percentage points from GDP growth in the second quarter.
- The impact of the trade gap on GDP is expected to be offset by a rise in inventories at wholesalers and retailers. Wholesale inventories increased by 0.2% in June, while retail inventories climbed by 0.7%, driven by a 1.8% gain in stocks at motor vehicle and parts dealers.
GDP Growth:
- According to a Reuters survey of economists, GDP likely increased at a 2.0% annualized rate in the April-June quarter.
- Business inventories are estimated to have added roughly 1.5 percentage points to GDP growth last quarter after subtracting from growth for two straight quarters.
Conclusion: The US trade deficit in goods narrowed in June due to a rebound in exports, but it remained a drag on economic growth in the second quarter. The impact on GDP is expected to be mitigated by increased inventories at wholesalers and retailers. Economists predict a GDP growth rate of 2.0% for the April-June quarter, with inventory investment contributing positively to the overall growth.
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