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.
What happened US President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on South Korean goods to 25% , accusing Seoul’s legislature of failing to formalise a trade deal reached last year. The higher tariffs would apply to autos, pharmaceuticals, lumber and other goods , up from the current 15% levy . The warning was issued via social media and follows delays in South Korea’s parliament passing a “special law on strategic investment with the US” , which would legally underpin Seoul’s investment commitments under the bilateral deal. Why this matters South Korea is highly exposed to the US market , with America accounting for over 17% of total exports (US$122.9 billion) last year. Any tariff hike would directly affect major exporters such as Hyundai Motor , which shipped 1.1 million vehicles to the US in 2024. While Trump has often walked back tariff threats , Bloomberg data show about 27% of such threat...