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.
AmInvestment Bank forecasts that palm oil prices will rally in 2025 , driven by a tight supply of edible oils and growing biodiesel demand. The research house has upgraded the plantation sector to “overweight” , with expectations that crude palm oil (CPO) prices will average 6.3% higher next year, around RM4,250 per tonne . Factors contributing to this positive outlook include: Supply shortages of competing oils like rapeseed and sunflower. Biodiesel demand growth and export restrictions in Indonesia. A potential dip in Malaysia’s output following a 2024 bumper harvest and labor shortages due to a foreign worker recruitment freeze . Currently, CPO prices have risen 33% year-to-date to nearly RM4,000 per tonne , supporting an 9% gain in the Bursa Malaysia Plantation Index. This contrasts with Malaysia’s official projection for CPO prices, expected to be between RM3,500 and RM4,000 in 2025 amid improved weather and labor availability. Further, EU deforestation regulations set for...