KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia rebounded to close higher on Wednesday on selective buying of defensive stocks after a volatile trading session. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said consumer products and services stocks lifted the key index higher, overcoming lingering geopolitical concerns. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.08 points to 1,715.56 from yesterday’s close of 1,712.48. The benchmark index, which opened 1.91 points higher at 1,714.39, moved between 1,710.79 and 1,720.59 during the day’s trading. In the broader market, gainers outstripped decliners 550 to 476, while 612 counters were unchanged, 1,129 untraded, and 48 suspended. Turnover rose to 2.96 billion units valued at RM2.48 billion from 2.94 billion units valued at RM2.56 billion on Tuesday.
Key Takeaway Singapore’s F&B services sector posted modest growth of 1.7% YoY in July 2025 , reversing June’s flat performance. Gains were broad-based across most categories, but restaurants remained the weak spot with a 2.4% decline. Market Snapshot Total sales: S$1.0 billion Online share: 25.9% of all F&B sales Down from 26.8% in June Up from 23.8% a year earlier Segment Breakdown Food Caterers: +14.7% YoY — strongest growth driver Fast Food Outlets: +4.8% YoY — resilient consumer demand Cafes, Food Courts & Other Eating Places: +0.5% YoY — marginal growth Restaurants: -2.4% YoY — only segment in contraction Monthly Momentum (MoM, Seasonally Adjusted) Fast Food Outlets: +2.4% Restaurants: +1.9% (showing signs of recovery despite YoY weakness) Cafes/Food Courts: +0.9% Food Caterers: +0.2% Investor Implications Consumer shift: Food Caterers and Fast Food chains are benefiting most from evolving din...