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.
1. Consumer Costs in the U.S. Everyday goods— clothing, tools, appliances, electronics —heavily sourced from China, will become significantly more expensive. Retailers like Costco, Walmart, and Home Depot are expected to pass these cost increases on to consumers , hitting American wallets hard. 2. Production & Employment in China U.S. consumers buying less due to higher prices → decrease in demand for Chinese exports. This could lead to factory slowdowns and job losses in China. 3. China’s Retaliation Tariffs on U.S. exports like soybeans, airplanes, medical equipment will make American goods less competitive. Alternative suppliers (Brazil for soybeans, Airbus for aircraft) may benefit instead. Beijing’s Response China labeled the tariffs "blackmail" and vowed to "fight to the end." Beijing, led by President Xi, is unlikely to appear as capitulating —especially to a strategy it sees as extortionist. Risk of Esc...