KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
China’s major internet finance platforms are cautiously resuming their consumer lending businesses, signaling a potential shift in Beijing’s stance after years of regulatory clampdowns that began with the halted Ant Group IPO in 2020. According to industry insiders, platforms such as Ant Group , Tencent’s WeBank , and Meituan view Beijing’s new consumer loan interest subsidies —introduced in August to spur domestic consumption—as a green light to expand cautiously. The move marks a turning point after regulators previously forced these fintech giants to restructure and comply with stricter capital and data-use requirements. “The regulatory landscape has become more accommodative,” said one industry source. “The economy now needs large internet finance platforms.” Regulatory Winds Shift The fintech sector appears to be entering what UBS describes as a phase of “normalized regulatory oversight.” UBS projects lending via online platforms to grow...