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.
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...