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.
2025 was one of the most volatile years for global markets in recent memory. Investors faced multiple shocks — concerns over artificial intelligence valuations, rising geopolitical tensions, changes in US trade policy, and large swings in cryptocurrencies. Yet by year-end, major stock markets, including the S&P 500, had recovered and reached new highs. A consistent theme emerged: investors who avoided panic selling and stayed focused on long-term fundamentals generally navigated the year better. Period What Happened Market Impact January DeepSeek AI release raised concerns over tech valuations Semiconductor stocks fell sharply, then recovered April US tariff announcements Global markets sold off, followed by strong rebound June Escalation of Middle East conflict Temporary pullback in risk assets October Crypto market decline Bitcoin and related stocks weakened Year-end Slowing labour market & Fed easing expectations Stocks recovered to new highs What Investors Can Learn • ...