Rakuten Trade expects foreign investors to return to Malaysian equities as the ringgit strengthens amid prolonged Middle East tensions and elevated oil prices.
Foreign Holdings Stable Despite Outflows
According to Rakuten, foreign shareholding on Bursa Malaysia has remained relatively steady despite earlier outflows — suggesting:
Long-term investors have largely held positions
Short-term traders drove recent selling
Key Point: Foreign ownership hasn’t meaningfully collapsed, indicating underlying confidence in Malaysian assets.
Year-to-date, foreign funds recorded net inflows of RM1.28 billion.
Ringgit Strength Seen as Main Catalyst
The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI is recovering from recent declines as the US-Israel war with Iran enters its second week.
Meanwhile:
The ringgit is up nearly 3% year-to-date against the US dollar
Oil prices remain near US$100 per barrel
Malaysia continues to benefit from petroleum exports
Rakuten’s head of research Kenny Yee said a stronger ringgit could become the primary catalyst for renewed foreign interest.
Key Point: Currency appreciation may outweigh geopolitical risk in attracting foreign capital.
2026 Target: KLCI at 1,800
Rakuten projects the KLCI to end 2026 at 1,800, versus about 1,699 currently.
Corporate earnings outlook:
2025: -0.2% contraction
2026: +7.9% growth
2027: +6.5% growth
The brokerage is overweight on:
Banking
Construction
Consumer
Oil & gas
Plantation
Utilities
Technology
Top Sector Picks
Banking (Resilient Earnings & Dividends)
AMMB Holdings Bhd
CIMB Group Holdings Bhd
Malayan Banking Bhd
RHB Bank Bhd
Construction (Infrastructure Pipeline)
Projects such as the Penang LRT and Subang Airport redevelopment are expected to support:
Gamuda Bhd
Sunway Construction Group Bhd
Kerjaya Prospek Group Bhd
Technology (AI & Semiconductor Spending)
Inari Amertron Bhd
Kelington Group Bhd
Frontken Corp Bhd
Northeast Group Bhd
ITMAX System Bhd
Oil & Gas Beneficiaries
Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd
Dialog Group Bhd
Yinson Holdings Bhd
Bottom Line
Rakuten believes Malaysia is well-positioned to weather elevated oil prices, with currency strength serving as a potential magnet for foreign funds.
If the ringgit continues appreciating, foreign inflows could accelerate — supporting a recovery toward the 1,800 KLCI target in 2026.

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