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.
Key Takeaway: Hume Cement's profit declined modestly in 1QFY2025 due to lower demand, but the company declared a higher dividend of four sen per share in response to improved production efficiency. Hume Cement Industries Bhd reported a net profit of RM47.42 million for the first quarter ended Sept 30, 2024, a slight decrease from RM48.33 million in the previous year, as reduced demand affected cement sales. Revenue dropped 7.48% year-on-year to RM283.71 million , while earnings per share fell to 6.55 sen from 9.46 sen. Despite lower demand, Hume Cement offset some of the impact through reduced input and production costs , driven by manufacturing efficiency improvements. The company announced a dividend of four sen per share , double last year’s payout, with payment set for Dec 18. Hume Cement expects growth in demand as Malaysia’s construction sector expands. The stock closed at RM3.42 , up 0.88%, with a year-to-date gain of 52%.