KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower on the final trading day of the week, weighed down by the plantation sector as investors locked in gains following its recent strong performance. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 7.03 points 1,708.10, compared with yesterday’s close of 1,715.13. The benchmark index opened 1.39 points lower at 1,713.74 and fluctuated between 1,704.86 and 1,715.20 throughout the day. The broader market was negative with losers outnumbering gainers 568 to 523, while 596 counters were unchanged, 1,085 untraded and 19 suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.33 billion units valued at RM2.98 billion from 3.90 billion units valued at RM3.21 billion on Thursday.
Malaysia is preparing a return to the US dollar bond market for the first time since 2021, as tightening spreads and buoyant global credit conditions open a window for sovereign fundraising. The Finance Ministry has sent requests for proposals to banks for a potential dollar bond offering, primarily to refinance dollar bonds maturing this year , according to a ministry spokesperson. If executed, the deal would mark Malaysia’s first US-dollar issuance since raising US$1.3 billion in 2021. Why Now The timing reflects favourable market conditions. Spreads on Asian dollar debt tightened to record lows last week , echoing a strong global credit rally that has fuelled one of the busiest starts to a year for bond issuance since 2007. Malaysia’s macro backdrop has also improved, with Q4 GDP expanding 5.7% year-on-year , lifting full-year growth above official estimates. Malaysia carries an A- sovereign rating from S&P Global Ratings , providing fur...