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.
Key Takeaway Singapore’s F&B services sector posted modest growth of 1.7% YoY in July 2025 , reversing June’s flat performance. Gains were broad-based across most categories, but restaurants remained the weak spot with a 2.4% decline. Market Snapshot Total sales: S$1.0 billion Online share: 25.9% of all F&B sales Down from 26.8% in June Up from 23.8% a year earlier Segment Breakdown Food Caterers: +14.7% YoY — strongest growth driver Fast Food Outlets: +4.8% YoY — resilient consumer demand Cafes, Food Courts & Other Eating Places: +0.5% YoY — marginal growth Restaurants: -2.4% YoY — only segment in contraction Monthly Momentum (MoM, Seasonally Adjusted) Fast Food Outlets: +2.4% Restaurants: +1.9% (showing signs of recovery despite YoY weakness) Cafes/Food Courts: +0.9% Food Caterers: +0.2% Investor Implications Consumer shift: Food Caterers and Fast Food chains are benefiting most from evolving din...