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 Takeaway Asian stocks recovered on Thursday after Federal Reserve officials hinted at upcoming rate cuts, calming nerves from a bond market selloff. Softer U.S. jobs data also reinforced expectations of easing. Market Snapshot MSCI Asia ex-Japan : +0.5% Australia (ASX 200) : +0.7%, rebounding from worst drop since April Japan (Nikkei 225) : +1.2% at open China (Shanghai Composite) : –0.4%, tracking third straight decline on regulatory cooling measures Driving Factors Fed Support for Cuts : Fed Governor Christopher Waller signaled backing for rate cuts in coming months. Stephen Miran (Trump’s Fed Board nominee) emphasized commitment to central bank independence. Jobs Data : Weak JOLTS job openings reinforced bets on a September cut. Beige Book : Painted a mixed U.S. economic outlook, with tariff-related price risks noted. Bond & Currency Moves U.S. Treasuries : 10-year yield at 4.2129% (vs. 4.211% prior close) 2-year yield at 3.6166% (vs. 3.612% prior close) Currencies : USD/JPY...