KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia rebounded from yesterday’s downbeat performance to end at its intraday high today, driven by bargain hunting, particularly in technology, energy, construction, and consumer stocks. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 14.94 points or 1.01 per cent to 1,501.19 from Tuesday’s close of 1,486.25. The benchmark index opened 11.11 points higher at 1,497.36 and hit a low of 1,493.26 in the mid-afternoon session before climbing steadily upwards towards closing. Market breadth was positive, with advancers thumping decliners 717 to 264, while 403 counters were unchanged, 1,021 untraded, and 11 suspended. Turnover slipped to 2.99 billion units valued at RM2.08 billion against Tuesday’s 3.43 billion units valued at RM1.66 billion.
Overall Impact of US Tariffs:
Credit negative for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Likely to disrupt existing supply chains.
Unlikely to accelerate China+1 strategy in the near term.
Countries That May Gain:
Malaysia, India, and Philippines (10–30% tariff band):
Could gain US market share via trade triangulation.
Trade diversion expected in the short term.
India:
Large domestic market.
Attractive for companies seeking low-cost operations and consumer access.
Benefits to unfold over the next few years.
Countries at Risk Despite Lower Tariffs:
Singapore, Australia, New Zealand (10% baseline tariff):
May still feel the pinch due to high global trade exposure.
Singapore especially vulnerable to global trade slowdown.
Commodity-Heavy Economies:
Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia:
Rely heavily on Chinese demand.
A Chinese slowdown could reduce commodity export demand.
Frontier Market Risks:
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh:
Weak current account balances.
Limited ability to import from the US.
Could face external pressure and slower economic growth.
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