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.
Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) announced its investment in Funding Societies, a digital funding and debt investment platform for small businesses, as part of its strategy to enhance financial inclusivity and address funding gaps within the communities it serves. Key Highlights: Collaboration to Promote Financial Inclusion : Maybank’s investment will explore synergies with Funding Societies to promote inclusivity in financial services, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This collaboration aligns with Maybank's M25+ strategy to accelerate digitalisation within and beyond the banking sector. Strategic Move for Digital Investment : The investment is the first under Maybank’s new initiative to partner with digitally enabled organizations across Southeast Asia. Funding Societies, backed by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Golden Gate Ventures, and Alpha JWC Ventures, has provided over US$4 billion (RM17 billion) in business financing to more than 100,0...