KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed lower today, with the benchmark index falling by 0.97 per cent, as persistent selling across various sectors weighed on the market, which continued to feel the impact of sweeping US tariffs. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) dipped 14.77 points to 1,504.14 from Thursday’s close of 1,518.91. The benchmark index opened 9.90 points easier at 1,509.01 and fluctuated between 1,500.90 and 1,515.74 throughout the day. In the broader market, losers thumped gainers 777 to 185, while 366 counters were unchanged, 1,031 counters untraded and 19 others suspended. Turnover fell to 1.81 billion units valued at RM1.89 billion against Thursday’s 2.51 billion units valued at RM1.81 billion.
Asian equities began the week on a subdued note as high U.S. Treasury yields tested Wall Street's lofty valuations, keeping the U.S. dollar near multi-month highs. Market Performance : MSCI Asia-Pacific Index dipped 0.2% but remains 16% up for the year. Japan’s Nikkei slid 0.9%, still boasting a 20% annual gain. Chinese blue chips rose 0.3%, with most of their 16% yearly gain achieved after Beijing’s September stimulus promises. South Korea's index edged up 0.3% but is down 9% for the year, weighed by political uncertainties and events like Jeju Air’s recent plane crash. Global Futures : EUROSTOXX 50 futures gained 0.1%. U.S. futures saw slight declines, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures down 0.1%. Economic Drivers and Concerns U.S. Treasury Yields : Yields on 10-year Treasuries are near eight-month highs at 4.631%, up 75 basis points for the year. Rising yields reflect revised expectations of less restrictive monetary policy, raising concerns about potential impacts on corpo...