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.
Asian equities traded cautiously on Monday as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices above US$100 per barrel , complicating the global inflation outlook and forcing central banks to reconsider the pace of monetary easing. Oil Surge Raises Inflation Concerns Crude prices climbed amid uncertainty surrounding shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz , a critical global energy chokepoint. Brent crude rose 1.5% to US$104.72 per barrel , while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 0.9% to US$99.60 . Reports suggested the Trump...