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.
Malaysia’s market opened with mixed signals as strong global sentiment contrasts with local profit-taking , while the IMF upgraded the country’s 2026 GDP outlook , reinforcing medium-term optimism. Wall Street Gains on Easing Geopolitical Risks US markets closed mostly higher as optimism grew that the US-Iran conflict may be nearing an end : S&P 500 +0.8% Nasdaq Composite +1.59% Dow Jones Industrial Average -0.15% Technology stocks led gains, driven by continued AI enthusiasm and corporate developments : Tesla +7.6% on AI chip progress Oracle +4.2% on energy deal Lower geopolitical risks are expected to ease oil prices and inflation pressures , supporting equities. KLCI Slips on Profit-Taking in Heavyweights The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI edged 0.28% lower to 1,683.42 , as gains were capped by profit-taking in financial and utility stocks . Top gainer: Axiata Group +3.72% ...