KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower on the final trading day of the week, weighed down by the plantation sector as investors locked in gains following its recent strong performance. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 7.03 points 1,708.10, compared with yesterday’s close of 1,715.13. The benchmark index opened 1.39 points lower at 1,713.74 and fluctuated between 1,704.86 and 1,715.20 throughout the day. The broader market was negative with losers outnumbering gainers 568 to 523, while 596 counters were unchanged, 1,085 untraded and 19 suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.33 billion units valued at RM2.98 billion from 3.90 billion units valued at RM3.21 billion on Thursday.
Executive View Singapore’s macro backdrop entering 2026 is constructively stable . Growth has surprised to the upside, inflation remains contained, and policy credibility is intact. As a result, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is positioned to remain on hold in the near term , preserving optionality rather than pre-committing to either easing or tightening. For investors, this environment supports measured risk-taking , selective exposure to Singapore equities and SGD assets , and a bias toward policy-resilient sectors rather than directional macro bets. Policy Anchor: Why MAS Can Stay Patient Singapore’s 2025 GDP growth of 4.8% materially exceeded trend expectations, driven by: Sustained semiconductor and electronics demand AI-linked memory pricing strength Resilient regional trade flows At the same time, core inflation near ~1% sits comfortably within MAS’s tolerance band, reducing the need ...