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.
Headline Performance: Another Earnings Beat Novartis delivered another robust quarterly performance, driven by its core therapy areas and blockbuster drug portfolio , along with improved cash generation. Key Financial Highlights: Metric Q2 2025 YoY Growth Net Sales $14.05B +11% Core Operating Income $5.93B +21% EPS $2.07 +32% Core Profit Margin 42.2% ↑ from Q1 Free Cash Flow $6.33B +37% First-half free cash flow jumped 46% YoY , showing strong operational efficiency . Pipeline Power: Flagship Drugs Lead the Charge Novartis’ innovation-focused strategy continues to pay off across its four core therapeutic areas: Therapeutic Area Breakdown: Area Revenue YoY Growth Cardiovascular-Renal-Metabolism $2.66B +26% Immunology $2.55B +9% Neuroscience $1.46B +17% Oncology $4.29B +20% Despite slower growth in Cosentyx and Zolgensma , the core pipeline remains robust. Star Performers Kisqali (Breast Cancer): +64% YoY, now holding 61% m...