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.
The Red Sea crisis has led to a significant shift in Asia's export landscape , with companies involved in goods production facing increased costs, while those in the freight and shipping sectors benefit from a spike in freight rates . Container ships have been avoiding the Red Sea due to the heightened risk of attacks, reducing vessel traffic through the narrow passageway by about 70% from December to mid-July, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. This decline in traffic has resulted in increased transit times and higher freight rates. Chinese shipping companies, including Cosco Shipping Holdings Co , reported earnings growth driven by increased revenue from their container shipping businesses. Similarly, Orient Overseas International Ltd saw improved performance on its Trans-Pacific trade routes, as tight supply chains contributed to higher freight rates. On the other hand, companies such as Miniso Group Holding Ltd have been hit hard by escalating logistics costs. Dixon Tech...