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.
Hybrid vehicles accounted for 32.8% of all new car sales in the European Union (EU) in September, surpassing the market share of petrol-powered vehicles for the first time, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) . The overall car market in the EU saw a 6.1% decline in sales year-on-year, with major markets like Germany, France, and Italy continuing to stagnate. The growth in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales reflects a trend where consumers view hybrids as a more affordable compromise between combustion and all-electric vehicles (EVs) . However, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have slowed due to differing policies on green incentives and the imposition of tariffs on cheaper Chinese EV imports. In total, electrified vehicles — which include BEVs, PHEVs, and HEVs — made up 56.9% of new passenger car registrations in September, up from 50.3% the previous year. Hybrid electric vehicle sales inc...