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.
Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) dropped on Monday following weather forecasts predicting much-needed rainfall in the drought-affected US Plains. Analysts noted that rains could help replenish moisture levels in key wheat-growing regions, with the Commodity Weather Group reporting that weekend showers had alleviated winter wheat deficits in the Midwest and Plains. Corn and soybeans also edged lower, driven by profit-taking after multi-month highs on Friday and a slight uptick in the US dollar, which can make US grains less competitive globally. The CBOT's most-active soybean futures declined by eight cents, settling at $10.22 1/4 per bushel , while wheat fell by seven cents to $5.65 1/2 per bushel , and corn dropped by one cent to $4.30 per bushel . The US Department of Agriculture recently revealed that farmers grew fewer soybeans and corn this season due to dry conditions, though production levels remain robust, marking the second-largest soy harvest and third-l...