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.
Recent US interest rate cuts and China’s economic stimulus are expected to boost private equity (PE) activity in Asia by lowering funding costs and improving market sentiment, industry insiders said. These developments could make it easier for private equity firms to exit their investments, a process that has been challenging due to volatile market conditions. The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years, with more reductions expected, easing financing constraints for leveraged buyouts . At the same time, China's broader-than-expected monetary stimulus and property market support measures aim to revive confidence in the country’s economy, with further fiscal measures anticipated. "With the Fed entering a rate-cut cycle , we expect financing conditions to improve, driving a recovery in exit activity and asset valuations," said Janice Leow , head of EQT Private Capital Southeast Asia . She noted that this would help narrow the ...