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.
Earnings Boost Sends Stock Higher British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd (BAT Malaysia) saw its shares surge on Tuesday after reporting a strong second-quarter performance. The stock climbed as much as 10.5% to RM5.05 during morning trade before closing 7% higher at RM4.89 , valuing the company at RM1.4 billion . Profit Up Despite Lower Sales For the quarter ended June 30, 2025, BAT Malaysia’s net profit rose over 40% to RM50.95 million , compared with RM36.28 million a year earlier. The gain came despite a 2.45% drop in revenue to RM624.75 million , as lower operating costs — driven by its exit from vapour product Vuse — offset the decline in sales. The company declared a second interim dividend of 12 sen per share , totalling RM34.26 million , payable on September 4 . Regulatory Changes Loom The government has announced plans to impose a full ban on open-system vape products , citing concerns o...