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.
Key Takeaways Singapore's manufacturing PMI climbed to 51.3 , its highest level since 2018 , driven by strong AI-related semiconductor demand. Technology funding surged to S$3.78 billion in June , signalling growing investor confidence in Singapore's AI ecosystem. Wall Street's AI rally continued , providing a supportive backdrop for Singapore's technology and manufacturing sectors. AI is expanding beyond chipmaking , with nationwide workforce upskilling initiatives accelerating digital transformation. Singapore is emerging as a key beneficiary of the global AI investment cycle , supported by manufacturing, capital inflows and innovation. Market Insight While much of the world's attention remains on AI giants such as NVIDIA , Microsoft and OpenAI , another beneficiary is quietly emerging — Singapore . Recent economic data suggests the city-state is becoming one of Asia's biggest winners from the global artificial intelligence boom. From semiconductor ...