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.
Global Markets US equities extended their losing streak on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.38%, S&P 500 down 0.50%, and Nasdaq off 0.50% . Stronger economic data, including resilient jobless claims and firm Q2 GDP, dampened expectations for deeper Federal Reserve rate cuts. Treasury yields climbed, with the 10-year note rising to 4.17% , as investors looked to Friday’s PCE inflation data for further policy signals. Market sentiment was also clouded by the looming risk of a government shutdown, as federal agencies were directed to prepare contingency plans. Political gridlock in Washington added to volatility, reinforcing caution in risk assets. On the corporate front, Intel shares jumped 9% after CEO Lip-Bu Tan pushed ahead with efforts to secure fresh funding and partnerships. The company is in talks with Apple and TSMC, while also receiving backing from SoftBank and Nvidia to strengthen its turnaround strategy. Malaysia Markets The...