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.
S&P Global Ratings has given a vote of confidence to President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, affirming the US’s AA+ long-term credit rating with a stable outlook. The agency said tariff revenues are helping offset the fiscal impact of Trump’s tax and spending cuts , providing some relief to the nation’s balance sheet. Key Points from S&P Tariff revenues are rising: US customs duties hit a record US$28 billion in July , and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent now projects 2025 tariff receipts could exceed 1% of GDP . Fiscal position stable: While government debt is expected to surpass 100% of GDP in the next three years, S&P believes the deficit will average 6% of GDP from 2025–2028 , down from 7.5% in 2024. Stable outlook: S&P does not expect US fiscal health to improve dramatically, but it also doesn’t expect persistent deterioration in the near term. Market Reaction Bond yields: Th...