KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended at its intraday low on Thursday as investor sentiment remained cautious amid ongoing foreign outflows, although the recent weakness may present bargain-hunting opportunities in fundamentally sound blue-chip counters. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 9.33 points, or 0.54 per cent, to 1,708.36, from yesterday’s close of 1,717.69. The benchmark index, which opened 3.74 points higher at 1,721.43, hit an intraday high of 1,722.50 in early trade before losing momentum for the rest of the day. Market breadth was negative, with losers outpacing gainers 656 to 508, while 565 counters were unchanged, 989 untraded and 32 suspended. Turnover fell to 3.49 billion units worth RM3.70 billion compared with 4.15 billion units worth RM4.29 billion on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver Singapore Budget 2026 on February 12 at 3:30 PM , marking the first Budget under the 15th Parliament. If Budget 2025 focused on recovery, Budget 2026 signals a pivot toward high-quality, sustainable growth. Macro Backdrop: Strong Surplus, Stronger Leverage After a resilient 2025: GDP growth: 4.8% (advance estimate) Operating revenue: S$98.5B (first 9 months) Corporate tax: +11.6% YoY Key point: Singapore enters Budget 2026 with meaningful fiscal surplus and policy flexibility. This “dry powder” gives policymakers room to: Cushion cost-of-living pressures Accelerate green and digital transformation Strengthen long-term competitiveness 1️⃣ Cost-of-Living Relief — But Targeted Markets expect: Continued utilities and transport subsidies SME rebates for rentals and utilities Extension of transfer schemes However, broad stimulus is unlikely. Relief will be precise, not expansionary — balancin...