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.
A Surge in Bearish Bets Against Meta Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has become the top target for short sellers in 2025. Despite reporting strong second-quarter results in July, short interest in the stock has ballooned. According to data from S3 Partners, more than $11 billion is now bet against Meta. That represents a 75% increase in short interest this year, fueled by both new entrants and the company’s 30% year-to-date stock gain. The $11 billion figure makes Meta the single largest short target in the market, exceeding the combined short interest in Microsoft and Palantir. Meta vs. Microsoft and Palantir The contrast is striking. Short interest gains in 2025 stand at: Meta : $11.0 billion Palantir : $2.8 billion Microsoft : $2.2 billion Together, Microsoft and Palantir fall far short of Meta’s total, underscoring how concentrated bearish bets have become against Zuckerberg’s company. Notably, Palantir shares are up 110% year-to...