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.
Tech stocks retreat as rhetoric heats up, though precise timing remains vague
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that U.S. tariffs on certain imports—including chips and steel—could eventually reach 200% to 300%.
“If they don’t open here, they have to pay… in some cases, 200%, 300%,” he said, adding that initial rates would be lower before stepping up over time.
Wall Street Reacts
Semiconductor giants slid: AMD down ~1.3%, Broadcom ~1.1%, NVIDIA ~0.9%.
The Nasdaq Composite dipped ~0.1% amid growing concern over sudden tariff risk.
High Stakes for U.S. Manufacturing
Previous remarks indicated a ~100% tariff on ON Semiconductor imports—with exemptions tied to companies relocating production to the U.S.
With soaring proposed tariffs, export-heavy chipmakers could face staggering cost barriers unless policy clarifies quickly.
What to Watch
Tariff architecture: Trump said specifics might arrive in the next two weeks—watch for a tiered structure linked to time or compliance.
Sector fallout: Expect ripple effects across tech, consumer hardware, and industrial sectors with global supply chains.
Policy bargaining: Calls to bring manufacturing home may intensify further as carrot-and-stick mix emerges.
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