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.
China's record-breaking aluminum production is expected to continue for the remainder of the year, with national output projected to rise by 3% in the fourth quarter, reaching 11 million tons , according to Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) . This growth is supported by a surge in hydropower generation , ensuring that key production regions, such as Yunnan , will avoid the power shortages that have led to production cuts in recent years. In August , China's aluminum smelters produced a record 3.69 million tons , and while September may show a slight dip, production is expected to rebound to 3.72 million tons in December , SMM reported. Despite a slowing economy , demand for aluminum has remained strong due to the metal’s increased usage in clean energy applications such as electric vehicles (EVs) and solar power systems . Aluminum production is highly energy-intensive , but hydropower , particularly in Yunnan, has seen a 22% increase in output in the first eight months of 2024, ...