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.
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...