KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended higher on Friday as investors continued to accumulate blue-chip stocks in line with stronger performances across most regional markets. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.50 points to 1,724.90 from yesterday’s close of 1,720.40. The benchmark index opened 0.83 of a point higher at 1,721.23, and moved between 1,715.67 and 1,730.12 throughout the day. The broader market was positive with gainers outpacing losers 707 to 402, while 547 counters were unchanged, 1,085 untraded and 56 suspended. Turnover expanded to 3.03 billion units valued at RM3.56 billion from 2.49 billion units valued at RM2.25 billion on Thursday.
Crosscurrents Persist, But Capital Finds Direction Despite macro headwinds from Trump’s tariff escalations , weakening U.S. consumer data, and oil volatility, global equity markets posted broad gains last week. In Asia, investor sentiment remained bifurcated: institutional flows favored safety and policy plays , while retail flows leaned toward speculative opportunities . Asia Fund Flow Summary (Last 5 Days) Market Net Inflow/Outflow (USD) Key Drivers India +$1.52B Resilient consumption, soft CPI Thailand +$105.5M Dovish central bank tone Malaysia +RM33.2M (USD ~$7M) Reversal after 5-week outflows South Korea -$1.35B Trade tensions, FX risk Philippines -$128M GDP downgrade Vietnam -$112M Slowing exports, FX pressures Malaysia Fund Flow Breakdown Foreigners: Net Buy: RM33.2M overall Top Picks: MAYBANK: +RM154M TENAGA: +RM130.7M WPRTS: +RM44.5M Locals: Institutions: +RM142.8M (defensive tilt: Financials, Utilities) Retail: -RM17...