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.
Japan has renewed calls for China to broaden its outbound investment scheme, highlighting growing demand among mainland investors for exposure to Japanese equities. Satoru Shibata, an adviser to Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) on China matters, voiced the request during a Tokyo forum on Friday. Citing “strong enthusiasm” from Chinese investors, Shibata emphasized the need to expand the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) programme — a key channel that enables Chinese firms to invest in overseas assets within government-imposed limits. 🗣️ "Local demand for Japanese shares is strong. A further expansion of the quota is necessary," Shibata said, noting that the view was his own and not official policy. Growing Appetite Meets Limited Access Chinese interest in Japanese equities surged last year as China’s domestic stock markets faced headwinds. A buying frenzy of Japan-focused ETFs by Chinese investors triggered trading halts and all...