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.
Japanese automakers are slashing vehicle export prices to the United States at record levels to stay competitive under President Trump’s 25% auto tariff — even if it means sacrificing profit margins. Record Price Drop The export price index for Japanese vehicles shipped to North America fell 19.4% YoY in June , the sharpest decline since 2016, according to the Bank of Japan (BOJ) . This marks a strategic pricing move to absorb the tariff shock without passing costs to US consumers. Key Insights The move highlights Japan’s reluctance to raise prices , a tactic aimed at preserving US market share despite rising costs. Automakers like Subaru Corp. have raised prices modestly but are still largely absorbing the hit. Car exports to the US fell 24.7% by value , but only 3.9% by volume in May — proving the price cuts are working to maintain demand. BOJ's Dilemma BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is watc...