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.
Bitcoin climbed to an all-time high of US$124,563 before easing to around US$121,200 , moving in tandem with U.S. equity gains. The milestone followed the S&P 500’s second consecutive record close , underscoring strong global risk appetite. Market Drivers: Optimism over moderating inflation and rising bets on a September Fed rate cut fueled demand for risk assets. Institutional Support: Corporate treasury purchases — led by Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy — and continued ETF inflows have strengthened bitcoin’s rally, now boasting a market cap of US$2.5 trillion . Broader Crypto Lift: Ether approached its near four-year high at US$4,700 , aided by sustained demand from newly active treasury firms. Structural Buying: Analysts note the current rally is driven by institutional and corporate participation , not just retail speculation.