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.
Wall Street closed lower on Friday as investors digested a new wave of tariff escalations from President Donald Trump, reigniting concerns about global trade disruption just as second-quarter earnings season looms. Tariffs Trigger Caution The S&P 500 slipped 0.33% to 6,259.75 , pulling back from Thursday’s all-time high after Trump announced a 35% tariff on Canadian imports starting next month. The president also threatened blanket tariffs of 15%-20% on most other trade partners, building on Wednesday’s shock 50% tariff on Brazilian goods. "The tariff rhetoric is back, and it’s rattling sentiment," said Michael James of Rosenblatt Securities. "Markets were getting used to a quieter trade backdrop—now they’re recalibrating." The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.63% to 44,371.51 , while the Nasdaq edged down 0.22% to 20,585.53 . Weekly Recap: Modest Pullback Despite Rec...