KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index recouped earlier losses to settle higher, maintaining a more than six-year high, buoyed by continued buying interest in technology stocks, while the strengthening of the ringgit against the US dollar further lifted investor sentiment. At 2.27 pm today, the local currency strengthened to 3.9992 versus the greenback, its strongest level in more than seven years. It was last seen at this level on June 18, 2018, at 3.9960/9990. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 2.85 points or 0.17 per cent to 1,719.99 from yesterday’s close of 1,717.14. The index surpassed its previous peak of 1,719.00 recorded on Feb 26, 2019. The barometer index opened 1.30 points lower at 1,715.84 and moved between an intraday low of 1,711.89 in early trade and a high of 1,723.41 in late afternoon before slipping slightly toward the close. However, market breadth was negative with decl...
Key Takeaways
December exports rose 6.1% y/y, below the 10% forecast
Growth led by non-monetary gold and electronics
Exports to China and Taiwan increased; US and Japan weakened
Full-year 2025 exports grew 4.8%, beating expectations
Singapore’s 2025 GDP growth came in strong at 4.8%
Singapore’s export momentum softened at the end of the year, with non-oil domestic exports (NODX) rising 6.1% year-on-year in December, coming in below market expectations of a 10% increase, according to data released by Enterprise Singapore and reported by Reuters.
The December performance marked a slowdown from November’s revised 11.5% growth, though exports continued to be supported by non-monetary gold and electronics, particularly integrated circuits and disk media products — reflecting ongoing demand linked to AI-related technologies.
By market, exports to China and Taiwan increased, while shipments to Japan and the United States declined compared with a year earlier, highlighting uneven external demand conditions.
Despite the softer December print, the full-year 2025 export performance exceeded expectations. Singapore’s NODX expanded 4.8% for the year, well above Enterprise Singapore’s earlier forecast of around 2.5%. The upside was driven by robust AI-related demand and elevated gold prices, which provided a buffer in the second half of the year.
On the broader economy, Singapore delivered a strong surprise. The Trade Ministry confirmed 2025 GDP growth of 4.8%, beating its November forecast of around 4.0% and significantly outperforming its earlier projection range of 1.5%–2.5%.
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