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.
After months of tame inflation, June CPI data is expected to show a shift , thanks to tariff-driven price pressures filtering into the system. According to Bloomberg’s survey, core CPI (ex-food & energy) likely rose 0.3% month-on-month , the biggest jump in five months. On a yearly basis, core inflation is forecast to tick up to 2.9% , marking the first acceleration since January. The inflation uptick is a red flag for the Fed — and for rate cut hopes. Tariffs → Higher Import Costs → Rising Prices While the pass-through from tariffs remains modest for now, economists warn that this could build gradually over the next quarters , especially if importers continue to pass on costs. But don’t expect aggressive pricing yet — retailers are facing soft consumer demand and a cooling job market , making it risky to raise prices too quickly. Consumer Spending Remains Cautious Retail sales data due Thursday will show ...