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.
In March 2025, the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Survey showed a significant decline in household sentiment, further deepening worries about the state of the economy. Key findings from the survey include: Forward-Looking Expectations : The index for future expectations, covering income, business, and labor-market conditions, fell to 65.2 — the lowest level in 12 years. A score below 80 often signals recessionary concerns, raising alarms about a potential economic slowdown. Current Situation : The index for consumers’ view of the current economic situation dropped 7.2 points to 92.9 , marking the fourth consecutive month of decline . This suggests a sustained period of negative sentiment. Labor Market : Slightly improving, 33.6% of consumers now see jobs as plentiful, unchanged from the prior month, while 15.7% believe jobs are hard to get, a slight decrease from 16% in February...