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.
Shares of MBSB Bhd fell to a one-month low after the group reported FY2025 results that missed both house and consensus estimates. The stock dropped as much as 8% to 70 sen, erasing gains built over the past month. Market capitalisation stands at approximately RM5.8 billion. What Went Wrong According to BIMB Securities : FY2025 net profit fell 31% YoY to RM280 million Results met only 69% of forecasts Fund-based income declined 18% Credit cost rose to 55 bps (from 37 bps) Gross impaired loans ratio increased to 6.3% The earnings drag came from weaker operating income and higher impairment charges. While non-fund income surged nearly 76%, supported by government scheme funds and investment gains, it was insufficient to offset pressure from financing income and credit provisions. Cost-to-income ratio also rose to 57.9%. Money Master Take This is less about one weak quarter and more about asset quality direction. 1. Credit Quality Deterioration Is the Core Issue The rise ...