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.
Swiss Timepieces, US Tariffs, and a Ticking Clock US President Trump’s latest protectionist move — a 39% tariff on most Swiss-made products — is shaking the Swiss watch industry to its core. The tariff, effective this Thursday , targets one of Switzerland’s most iconic exports: luxury watches , with Swatch Group in the spotlight. “We produce everything in Switzerland. When you add a 39% tariff, we cannot absorb that.” — Nick Hayek, Swatch CEO Swatch’s Short-Term Playbook Front-loaded US shipments to beat the tariff deadline Inventory buffer : 3–6 months’ worth already in U.S. stores Price hikes : Already raised prices 5% in April; more expected Tapping mobile shoppers : Tourists, cruise ships, and duty-free zones targeted More stock shipping this week to brace for the impact Market Reaction Swatch & luxury peers’ shares fell ~5% on Monday , before partially recovering The U.S. is the largest market for Swiss watches , accou...