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.
Stock Reaction Intel (INTC.US) fell 3.7% after reports of government equity talks. Meanwhile, Arm (ARM.US) gained 1.6% and the SOXX ETF rose 0.3% . Two Big Headlines Washington’s Stake – The White House is reportedly considering converting CHIPS Act support into a 10% equity stake in Intel . Upside : Aligns taxpayer returns with Intel’s turnaround; strengthens domestic semiconductor capacity for national security. Downside : Dilution risk. A 10% new share issuance would weigh on EPS in the near term. Policy Shift : CHIPS funds have so far been grants/loans, not equity—this would set a precedent. SoftBank’s Bet – SoftBank agreed to invest $2 billion at $23 per share . Financial angle : A leveraged bet on Intel’s foundry turnaround at cyclical lows. Strategic angle : Supports SoftBank’s “Stargate” AI infrastructure push in the U.S. Intel–Arm dynamic : While Arm (owned by SoftBank) c...