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.
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...