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.
Malaysian banks could face a rise in bad debts in 2025 and 2026 as US tariff threats spark new credit risks, CGS International warned on Thursday. In a sharp reversal from four years of decline, gross impaired loans (GIL) — a key measure of bad debt — are expected to climb 5.6% in 2025 and further to 7% in 2026 for banks under CGS coverage. “Higher US tariffs on Malaysian exports could hurt the revenue of export-reliant companies, weakening their ability to service loans,” CGS said in a note, adding this could elevate default risks across the banking sector. Trade Tensions Heating Up The warning follows escalating trade rhetoric from US President Donald Trump , who has floated reciprocal tariffs of 15% to 50% , with an Aug 1 deadline looming. Earlier this month, the US even threatened to impose a blanket 25% import tax on all Malaysian goods . What’s at Stake for Banks? A...