KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its growth forecast for the Asia-Pacific region but cautioned that escalating U.S.–China trade tensions could derail momentum in one of the world’s most interconnected regions. Asia’s Resilient Growth Amid Tariff Headwinds According to Krishna Srinivasan , Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, Asia’s economy is expected to grow 4.5% in 2025 , slightly down from 4.6% in 2024 but 0.6 percentage point higher than the IMF’s April estimate . Growth is projected to moderate to 4.1% in 2026 . “The region is once again set to contribute about 60% of global growth, both this year and in 2026,” Srinivasan said. Despite facing U.S. tariffs, Asia’s economic activity has remained stronger than expected , driven by front-loaded exports , intra-regional trade , and a technology boom led by artificial intelligence (AI) demand in South Kore...