KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia rebounded to close higher on Wednesday on selective buying of defensive stocks after a volatile trading session. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said consumer products and services stocks lifted the key index higher, overcoming lingering geopolitical concerns. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.08 points to 1,715.56 from yesterday’s close of 1,712.48. The benchmark index, which opened 1.91 points higher at 1,714.39, moved between 1,710.79 and 1,720.59 during the day’s trading. In the broader market, gainers outstripped decliners 550 to 476, while 612 counters were unchanged, 1,129 untraded, and 48 suspended. Turnover rose to 2.96 billion units valued at RM2.48 billion from 2.94 billion units valued at RM2.56 billion on Tuesday.
Airline stocks have been soaring this earnings season, with investors watching closely as Southwest (LUV) and American Airlines (AAL) report. These results will be key to confirming whether the airline sector's comeback has real lift—or is just turbulence ahead. Sector Overview: The U.S. Global Jets ETF is up ~10% in July , showing renewed optimism. Still, airline stocks lag the broader S&P 500 , which is up 7% YTD . Delta (DAL) and United (UAL) already delivered strong earnings , boosting confidence. Now, all eyes are on LUV and AAL to validate the recovery narrative . Southwest Airlines (LUV) Stock YTD: +10% in 2025 Q2 Earnings: EPS: $0.43 (missed estimate of $0.51) Revenue: $7.2B (slightly below $7.3B est.) Key Change: Charging for checked baggage (a historic shift after 54 years) May cause market share loss in some cities Expected to...