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.
Thailand’s commercial banks have reported their fourth straight quarter of loan contraction , a worrying signal for the country’s economic outlook. Loan Growth Weakness Bank of Thailand (BOT) said outstanding loans shrank 0.9% in April–June, following a 1.3% drop in the first quarter. Non-performing loans (NPLs) inched higher to 2.91% (THB554.9 billion / RM72.1 billion) , up slightly from 2.9% in Q1. Lending to SMEs and consumers remains weak as banks tighten credit standards to control bad debt. BOT’s assistant governor Suwannee Jatsadasak warned that loan demand will likely remain subdued in Q3, with households already saddled with the highest debt ratio in Southeast Asia . Economic Headwinds Thailand’s economy grew just 2.8% in Q2 , down from 3.2% in Q1 . Weakness comes from US tariffs hitting exports and declining tourist arrivals . Thai firms remain cautious, focusing on dele...