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.
Chinese automakers are making aggressive moves into Europe's luxury car market , offering vehicles with high-tech features like digital dashboards, leather interiors, and champagne coolers , often at half the price of their European counterparts. While Porsche and Mercedes continue to dominate the luxury segment with their brand allure and heritage, Chinese manufacturers , led by companies like BYD and Xiaomi , are rapidly gaining ground. Having tripled their market share in China's high-end segment in just two years, these manufacturers are now eyeing Europe. Xiaomi's SU7 sports car has even garnered praise from Ford CEO Jim Farley , who has been driving it for the past six months. Despite the allure, Chinese automakers are facing challenges, including tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) set to be imposed by the European Union (EU) this week. These tariffs come after eight rounds of negotiations with Beijing failed to resolve key trade disputes. The pus...