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.
World shares took a downturn on Monday amid growing economic uncertainty fueled by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, overshadowing recent policy measures aimed at bolstering markets. This comes as investors brace for a week filled with data that could influence central banks' upcoming decisions. Geopolitical tensions intensified with continued Israeli strikes across Lebanon, contributing to market unease, though oil prices remained relatively stable despite concerns over increased supply. Brent crude oil futures rose by 52 cents to US$72.50 , while West Texas Intermediate climbed 40 cents to US$68.58 . While Hurricane Helene has mostly passed, causing significant devastation in parts of the southern US, a new tropical depression is expected to strengthen into another hurricane later this week. Such hurricanes disrupt the supply chain of oil products, raising concerns about supply from the world's largest oil producer. In contrast, Chinese stock markets experience...