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.
Unilever is making "drastic" changes in its Indonesian operations , according to Chief Financial Officer Fernando Fernandez , as the company grapples with consumer boycotts of multinational brands in response to the ongoing war in Gaza . These boycotts have worsened the company's distribution challenges in the region. Unilever, known for brands like Dove , Knorr , and Ben & Jerry's , first reported in February that Southeast Asian sales had taken a hit due to Indonesian shoppers boycotting multinational brands, linked to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East . Speaking after delivering slightly better-than-expected quarterly sales, Fernandez said Unilever plans to make its brands more "contemporary" to adapt to the significant societal changes taking place in Indonesia. He expects improvement over the next six months. Unilever’s Indonesian unit reported an 18% drop in third-quarter revenue , largely driven by a decline in volumes. CEO Hein...