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.
Bandai Namco Holdings Inc is reducing its workforce and discontinuing several game titles as rising costs and plateauing demand hit the gaming industry. The company, known for iconic games like Pac-Man , Dragon Ball , and Gundam , is facing pressure to cut costs as the post-pandemic gaming boom fades. The Tokyo-based company is reportedly using "expulsion rooms" (oidashi beya) to encourage voluntary resignations. Approximately 200 employees from affiliate Bandai Namco Studios Inc have been sent to these rooms since April, with nearly 100 resigning so far. The company denied that these rooms are intended to pressure employees, stating that staff are simply awaiting new assignments as projects emerge. Bandai Namco has been forced to cancel or pause development on several high-profile titles, including games based on popular anime Naruto and One Piece , as well as a project commissioned by Nintendo . The company’s smartphone and online games have been hit hardest, leading...