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.
This week brings a high-stakes combination of corporate earnings, inflation data, and Fed commentary , all of which could influence market sentiment and monetary policy outlooks. Earnings Watch: Spotlight on JPMorgan, Bank of America & Netflix 1. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) – Reports Tuesday Trading strength : Estimated 8% jump in trading revenue amid early-quarter volatility. Loan profit growth : Forecasted +3.2% YoY. Expense control : Expected to remain flat YoY, aligning with management guidance. Outlook : Piper Sandler suggests JPM may raise full-year net interest income (NII) guidance. However, earnings growth is likely to lag peers . 2. Bank of America (BAC) – Reports Wednesday Net interest income : Citi expects only a 1% sequential increase, impacted by high deposit costs and lower yields . Revenue : Projected to fall 3% QoQ due to a strong Q1 base in trading. Outlook : Margin pressure remains, but still navigating through high-r...