KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended marginally lower on Monday amid selling activity as the market lacked fresh catalysts to spur investors’ buying interest, an analyst said. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 1.60 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 1,670.02, from Friday’s close of 1,671.62. The benchmark index, which opened 0.93 of-a-point higher at 1,672.55, moved between 1,668.61 and 1,674.11 throughout the trading session. Market breadth was negative as losers surpassed gainers 748 to 388, while 517 counters were unchanged, 1,271 untraded and 91 suspended. Turnover slipped to 3.11 billion units worth RM2.40 billion from 4.07 billion units valued at RM2.69 billion on Friday.
The Thai baht fell to a six-week low on Thursday, while most Asian currencies fluctuated in a narrow range and regional equities edged lower as traders adjusted their expectations for US Federal Reserve rate cuts and considered the impact of a potential second Trump presidency . The baht dropped by 1% to 33.83 per US dollar , marking its lowest level since Sept 10, as the currency resumed trading after a holiday. Other regional currencies such as the Singapore dollar and Philippine peso gained 0.2%, while the South Korean won increased slightly by 0.1%. The US dollar index , which tracks the currency against six rivals, remained close to a three-month high , buoyed by the perception that an outsized 50-basis-point rate cut from the Fed is now less likely. This sentiment was reinforced by rising treasury yields . Additionally, anticipation of a Trump victory in the US presidential election added to the dollar's strength, as his tax and tariff policies are considered infla...