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.
Singapore’s economy is showing resilience, prompting the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to raise its 2025 GDP growth forecast to 1.5%-2.5% (previously 0.0%-2.0%), but officials caution that global uncertainties could cloud the outlook. Key Q2 2025 Economic Data GDP Growth (YoY): 4.4% (Revised up from 4.3%; Q1 growth: 4.1%) H1 2025 GDP Growth: 4.3% Manufacturing: +5.2% (Q1: +4.7%) Quarter-over-Quarter (SA): +1.4% (Q1: -0.5%) Why the Upgrade? Stronger-than-expected performance in manufacturing and services sectors. Resilience in trade despite global tariff changes. Rebound from Q1 contraction avoided the risk of a technical recession . Cautions from MTI Global Slowdown Risk: Growth in major trading partners expected to moderate in H2 2025 as front-loading of exports eases. Tariff Impact: U.S. reciprocal tariffs could weigh on exports. Sector Risk: Pharmaceuticals, a key export sec...