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 household debt has seen a minor reduction in the second quarter as banks implemented stricter lending practices to manage bad loans and borrowers stepped up debt repayments amidst the highest interest rates in a decade. As of June, household debt, as a percentage of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , stood at 89.6% , down from 90.7% in the previous quarter. This equates to a total liability of 16.32 trillion baht ($507 billion) , slightly decreased from 16.36 trillion baht in the first quarter, according to data released by the Bank of Thailand . More than 75% of this household debt is attributed to loans for personal consumption and mortgages. Government Initiatives for Debt Restructuring Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has committed to implementing a comprehensive debt restructuring plan to address the ongoing household indebtedness as her new administration introduces measures aimed at stimulating Thailand’s sluggish economy. The central bank ...