KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended higher on Friday as investors continued to accumulate blue-chip stocks in line with stronger performances across most regional markets. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.50 points to 1,724.90 from yesterday’s close of 1,720.40. The benchmark index opened 0.83 of a point higher at 1,721.23, and moved between 1,715.67 and 1,730.12 throughout the day. The broader market was positive with gainers outpacing losers 707 to 402, while 547 counters were unchanged, 1,085 untraded and 56 suspended. Turnover expanded to 3.03 billion units valued at RM3.56 billion from 2.49 billion units valued at RM2.25 billion on Thursday.
In a key step toward thawing tech tensions, the US has relaxed export restrictions on chip design software for Chinese firms, following a new trade agreement with Beijing.
Germany’s Siemens AG — one of the world’s top suppliers of electronic design automation (EDA) tools — confirmed that it has been notified by the US Commerce Department that it no longer requires government licenses to supply its software to Chinese customers. The move marks a reversal of earlier restrictions imposed in May, when Washington cracked down on EDA software sales in response to China’s controls on rare-earth mineral exports.
Under last week’s trade pact, the US agreed to resume exports of EDA software, ethane, and jet engines — provided that China expedites its approval process for outbound shipments of critical minerals.
What This Means:
Full access restored: Siemens has resumed unrestricted business in China for its chip software segment.
Eyes on Cadence and Synopsys: The two other leading EDA players have not yet confirmed if they’ve received similar clearance.
Context: The software is vital for designing everything from basic semiconductors to AI-ready chips powering giants like Apple and Nvidia.
The brief but impactful restrictions had escalated the ongoing chip war between the world’s two largest economies, particularly targeting China’s semiconductor and AI ambitions. Lifting them signals a willingness to de-escalate — if both sides hold up their end of the bargain.
Investor Insight:
While this won’t immediately alter the global chip supply chain, it removes one key friction point — and could re-open growth lanes for US-listed chip software stocks with China exposure.
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