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.
Key Takeaways: Passenger Growth: Malaysia recorded 8.7 million air passengers in February 2025, up 6.9% YoY from the same month last year. Slight Monthly Dip: Traffic declined 5.9% MoM , but travel demand remained strong due to school holidays, visa exemptions , and new routes . Domestic vs International: Domestic traffic: 4.3 million (+6.6% YoY) International traffic: 4.4 million (+7.2% YoY), making up 51.5% of total passenger volume YTD. Strong Non-ASEAN Travel: Non-ASEAN passengers: 2.6 million (+10% YoY) ASEAN passengers: 2.2 million (+4.4% YoY) Busy Airports: KLIA (+7.2%) Penang (+8.7%) Senai (+6.9%) Kota Kinabalu (+5.3%) Langkawi (+2.3%) Kuching (+1.7%) Boosting Factors: Higher seat capacity, visa exemptions for China and India , and new routes like Kota Kinabalu–Tokyo , KL–Ürümqi , and Penang–Zhangjiajie supported growth. Outlook for 2025: MAV...