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.
Trump wants cuts. Markets want clarity. The Fed says: not so fast. While central banks around the globe are slashing interest rates in response to tariff turmoil and cooling inflation, the Federal Reserve remains cautious — resisting political pressure from President Trump to loosen monetary policy. Key Takeaways from Bloomberg’s Global Rate Watch : 🔹 Fed (US): ➡ Current: 4.5% | Forecast: 4.25% ➡ One rate cut expected —possibly in Q4. ➡ Trump wants action, but policymakers are wary of inflation risks from tariffs. 🔹 ECB (Europe): ➡ Forecasts two more cuts this year to 1.5%. ➡ Tariff threats on pharma exports weigh on eurozone growth. 🔹 BOJ (Japan): ➡ Could raise rates slightly amid inflation and wage growth, but politics may delay action. 🔹 BOE (UK): ➡ Expected to cut rates twice by year-end as job markets weaken and inflation stays sticky. 🔹 BOC (Canada): ➡ Two rate cuts likely this year due to softening growth. ...