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.
Japan’s wholesale inflation surged to 4.0% in February, driven by rising raw material costs, keeping market expectations alive for a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) . Key Highlights: Corporate Goods Price Index (CGPI) : The rise in the CGPI , which tracks the price companies charge each other for goods and services, matched market forecasts. Although it was a slowdown from January’s 4.2% year-on-year increase, it remains elevated. Yen-based Import Prices : The yen-based import prices dropped by 0.7% in February compared to the previous year, reversing the 2.3% increase in January. Bank of Japan’s Position : Monetary Policy : Following the end of a decade-long monetary stimulus in 2024, the BOJ raised short-term interest rates in January to 0.5% from 0.25% , signaling its confidence that Japan is on track to sustainably re...