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.
Malaysia’s banking sector started 2026 on stable footing, but analysts are increasingly cautious as loan momentum shows early signs of moderation. Loan Growth Holds Near 5% System loan growth stayed close to 5% year-on-year (y-o-y) in January, according to HLIB Research . Breakdown of lending trends: Household loans: ~5% y-o-y Supported by strong residential mortgages and hire purchase financing Business loans: Moderated to ~4% y-o-y Weaker capital expenditure and working capital demand Loan approvals rebounded sharply, rising nearly 27% y-o-y , driven by business credit demand of around 42%. Key Point: Loan growth remains steady, supported by household lending, but business momentum is softening. Deposits and Margins Deposit growth eased to nearly 3% y-o-y , dragged by weaker fixed deposits and foreign currency savings. However: Current and savings account (CASA) growth rose 8% y-o-y Banks continued optimising funding costs to protect yields Ne...