KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- Last-minute buying lifted Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index, reversing earlier losses as higher oil prices boosted sentiment for energy- and chemical-related counters. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said regional markets remained under pressure following negative cues from Wall Street, compounded by surging oil prices, mixed earnings, and a cautious US Federal Reserve stance. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) increased 1.60 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 1,722.02 from Wednesday’s close of 1,720.42. The benchmark index opened marginally lower at 1,720.23 and moved between a low of 1,712.14 and a high of 1,722.03 throughout the day. Market breadth, however, was negative, with losers trouncing gainers 816 to 360. A total of 546 counters were unchanged, 950 were untraded, and 77 were suspended. Turnover declined to 2.91 billion un...
Asian equities are heading for their strongest February performance on record, powered by investor enthusiasm for companies supporting the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure boom.
Asia Steals the Spotlight in 2026
MSCI Asia Pacific Index has climbed 6.7% in February, marking its best February since its launch in 1998.
The rally puts Asian markets on track to outperform the U.S. for a third straight month.
South Korea led the charge:
KOSPI Index surged about 20% in February
Up 49% year-to-date, making it the world’s best-performing major index
Key Point: Global capital is rotating into Asian tech and AI supply-chain stocks.
Investors view Asian firms as the “picks and shovels” behind AI expansion — benefiting from infrastructure demand rather than facing disruption risk seen in the U.S.
U.S. Markets Lag Amid “AI Scare Trade”
S&P 500 Index futures slipped 0.3% Friday.
Despite strong earnings from Nvidia Corp., investors reacted cautiously. While revenue and profit beat estimates, concerns linger about:
Narrowing competitive moat
Long-term positioning in AI disruption
The muted response reflects rising expectations for AI leaders.
Emerging Markets See Fresh Momentum
Global asset managers overseeing over $20 trillion have increased exposure to:
Emerging-market equities
Currencies
Domestic bonds
Credit
Citigroup Inc. noted stronger long positioning across Asia, Latin America, and EMEA markets.
Meanwhile:
US 10-year Treasury yield held near 4%
Dollar stayed flat
Gold rose over 6% in February — marking its seventh consecutive monthly gain, the longest streak since 1973
Corporate Movers
Dell Technologies Inc. shares jumped after strong AI server sales outlook
Block Inc. to cut 4,000 jobs, citing AI-driven productivity shift
Coupang Inc. reported surprise Q4 loss
Netflix Inc. exited bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
Market Snapshot
Stocks
Japan Topix +0.8%
Hang Seng +0.5%
Shanghai Composite flat
Currencies
Euro: $1.18
Yen strengthened 0.2%
Commodities
WTI crude: $65/barrel
Gold steady near record levels
What This Means for Investors
Asian equities are benefiting from:
AI infrastructure demand
Relative insulation from AI disruption fears
Strong capital inflows into emerging markets
Big Picture: Asia is currently winning the AI trade while U.S. markets digest valuation and disruption risks.
If the rotation trend continues, emerging Asia may remain a key outperformer in 2026.
Comments
Post a Comment