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.
European natural gas prices fell after Israeli strikes against Iran deliberately avoided key oil, nuclear, and civilian infrastructure , easing concerns about immediate supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict . Benchmark gas futures dropped by as much as 4.3% on Monday , following last week’s significant gains, while crude oil prices also slumped. The market had been bracing for a broader attack that could have threatened critical energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz , a vital route for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil . Despite fears of escalating tensions, Israel’s response was more limited than anticipated, containing the immediate risk of a disruption to global energy supplies . This, coupled with mild weather forecasts across northwest Europe for the coming weeks, helped push prices lower, signaling a reduced need for fuel for heating. Europe's gas inventories , now over 95% full , have remained a buffer against potential supply disruptions. However, th...