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.
The Bank of England (BOE) is poised to make a critical decision on interest rates, with stubborn services inflation and a resilient job market clouding the outlook. Investors have sharply reduced their expectations for a rate cut in August, as key economic data set to be released this week will heavily influence the BOE’s course of action. Key Points: Investor Sentiment : Odds of a rate cut in August have dropped to 45% from 60% earlier this month. The pound has strengthened, hitting its highest level against the dollar in a year and nearing its strongest since August 2022 against the euro. Services Inflation : Expected to slightly decrease to 5.6% in June from 5.7% in May. Still significantly above the BOE’s forecast of 5.1%. Factors like the arrival of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour could exert upward pressure on services inflation. Wage Growth : Predicted to cool below 6% for the first time in 20 months. Excluding bonuses, wage growth is expected to fall from 6% to 5.7%. Economic Data : T...