KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended little changed on Friday, as investors remained cautious amid renewed pressure on global bond yields and geopolitical tensions, an analyst said. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.23 points to 1,736.48 compared with Thursday’s close of 1,736.71. The benchmark index opened 0.63 of a point lower at 1,736.08, and fluctuated between 1,733.13 and 1,738.30 throughout the day. On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers 637 to 578, while 571 counters were unchanged, 1,086 untraded and 47 suspended. Turnover decreased to 3.91 billion units valued at RM3.32 billion from 4.28 billion units valued at RM4.01 billion on Thursday.
1. Key Earnings Reports (AI & Tech Sector Focus)
- NVIDIA (NVDA): Q4 2025 earnings expected this week. Analysts forecast $38.13B in revenue (+72.52% YoY) and $0.80 EPS (+61.83% YoY). AI-driven data center growth remains strong despite geopolitical risks.
- Salesforce (CRM): Reports Wednesday after market close, alongside Snowflake (SNOW) and C3.ai (AI).
- Workday (WDAY): Reports Tuesday.
- Dell Technologies (DELL) & HP Inc (HPQ): Earnings due Thursday after the market close.
- Vistra Energy (VST): Reports Thursday before the market open.
2. Macroeconomic Events: PCE Inflation Data
- The Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) index will be released, influencing the Fed's interest rate decision in its March 18-19 meeting.
- Predictions:
- PCE to rise 2.5% YoY (previous: 2.6%).
- Core PCE (excludes food & energy) expected at 2.6% YoY (previous: 2.8%).
- A lower-than-expected PCE could boost markets, while a higher-than-expected result may cause concerns, especially amid inflationary risks from increased tariffs.
3. Market Sentiment & Interest Rate Outlook
- Current expectations from CME FedWatch indicate an equal probability of one or two rate cuts this year.
- Investors will closely watch how the market reacts to the inflation data and AI stock earnings.
Key Takeaways:
📌 Biggest focus: NVIDIA’s earnings & AI sector performance.
📌 Inflation data: A key factor for the Fed's interest rate decision.
📌 Market reaction: Expected volatility based on PCE results & corporate earnings.
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