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 saw an uneven recovery on Tuesday, following overnight gains on Wall Street after signs that U.S.-China trade talks remain on track. The MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan Index rose 0.5% , while S&P 500 futures advanced 0.3% , extending Monday’s rally in New York where major indexes climbed up to 2.2% , led by semiconductor stocks. The rebound came after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a softer stance on trade, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirming plans for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month. Regional Performance Taiwan: Stocks led gains, rising 2.2% , after Samsung Electronics projected a 32% YoY increase in Q3 operating profit, outperforming expectations. South Korea: The Kospi climbed 1% , boosted by chipmakers and technology shares. Japan: The Nikkei fell 1.2% as markets reopened post-...