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.
China’s major internet finance platforms are cautiously resuming their consumer lending businesses, signaling a potential shift in Beijing’s stance after years of regulatory clampdowns that began with the halted Ant Group IPO in 2020. According to industry insiders, platforms such as Ant Group , Tencent’s WeBank , and Meituan view Beijing’s new consumer loan interest subsidies —introduced in August to spur domestic consumption—as a green light to expand cautiously. The move marks a turning point after regulators previously forced these fintech giants to restructure and comply with stricter capital and data-use requirements. “The regulatory landscape has become more accommodative,” said one industry source. “The economy now needs large internet finance platforms.” Regulatory Winds Shift The fintech sector appears to be entering what UBS describes as a phase of “normalized regulatory oversight.” UBS projects lending via online platforms to grow...