KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia’s key index closed higher today on bargain hunting, in line with positive investor sentiment across regional markets, consolidating at its highest level in more than two months — a level last seen on Oct 2, 2025. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 12.42 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 1,637.81, compared with Thursday’s close of 1,625.39. The benchmark index opened 2.83 points lower at 1,622.56, thereafter edged down to an early low of 1,622.03, before staging an uptrend to an intraday high of 1,640.36 in late trading. Market breadth was positive, with gainers trouncing decliners at 743 versus 387. Another 530 counters were unchanged, 1,108 untraded, and 16 suspended. Turnover increased to 3.09 billion units worth RM2.46 billion from 2.99 billion units worth RM2.35 billion on Thursday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI ended higher on continued...
US President Donald Trump warned that Netflix Inc’s planned US$72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery Inc could pose antitrust issues, adding political uncertainty to one of the largest media deals in history.
Speaking at an event at the Kennedy Center, Trump said the combined company’s market share “could be a problem” — comments likely to heighten concerns that US regulators may challenge the merger.
“Well, that’s got to go through a process, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said on Sunday, confirming he recently met Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. The remarks come as the deal faces what is expected to be an extensive review by the Justice Department, which will evaluate whether combining the world’s largest streaming platform with a major Hollywood studio violates competition laws.
Prediction market Polymarket saw expectations for the deal’s completion fall sharply — from around 60% to 23% — following Trump’s comments. Warner Bros shares rose 1% in early Blue Ocean trading, while Netflix slipped 1.4%.
DOJ and Political Pushback
The Justice Department could argue that the combined market share exceeds the 30% threshold regulators often use to flag dominance concerns. Netflix will contend that platforms such as YouTube and TikTok should be included in the competitive landscape, which would dilute its apparent market share.
Sarandos met Trump at the White House recently to advocate for the acquisition, arguing Netflix is not a monopoly and has faced subscriber losses in the past, according to people familiar with the discussions. Trump confirmed the meeting.
Warner Bros chose Netflix over Paramount Skydance Corp, a move that could inflame political tensions in Washington. Paramount — backed by billionaire Larry Ellison — has publicly received Trump’s support for its own merger this year.
Lawmakers from both parties, including Republican Rep. Darrell Issa and Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, have criticized the Netflix–Warner deal as harmful to consumers. The merged company would have roughly 450 million users worldwide.
Global Scrutiny Builds
The EU is expected to launch an intensive antitrust review, and UK officials had already raised concerns before the deal was even announced. House of Lords member Luciana Berger has questioned how the acquisition could affect competition and subscription prices.
Even if regulators define the market narrowly as streaming, Netflix believes it can still defend the deal by pointing to Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ as major competitors.
The company is also expected to argue that 75% of HBO Max subscribers already have Netflix, making the platforms complementary rather than direct rivals. Netflix is preparing to claim the acquisition would lower overall costs through:
reduced content spending
shared backend technology
bundled pricing of Netflix and Max
Key Takeaways
Trump said Netflix’s market share “could be a problem,” raising antitrust concerns over its US$72b bid for Warner Bros Discovery.
Odds of the deal closing dropped from 60% to 23% on Polymarket after Trump’s remarks.
The Justice Department will lead a lengthy antitrust review; EU and UK regulators are also expected to scrutinize the deal.
Bipartisan criticism in the US adds political pressure, with lawmakers warning of reduced competition.
Netflix will argue the real competitive landscape includes YouTube, TikTok, Amazon Prime and Disney+, diluting its market share.
The company will also emphasize cost synergies and note that 75% of HBO Max users already subscribe to Netflix.
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