KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
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...