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.
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...