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.
Foreign investors remained net buyers of Malaysian equities for the sixth consecutive week, with a total inflow of RM271.5 million last week, according to MIDF Research. Despite a shortened trading week due to the Mawlid holiday on September 16, foreign investors net bought RM167.7 million on Tuesday, RM122.9 million on Thursday, and RM57.0 million on Friday, offsetting Wednesday's net sell of RM76.1 million . Malaysia’s August 2024 export growth , driven by strong demand for electronics and rising shipments to the US and other key markets, exceeded expectations. Exports grew 12.1% year-on-year , reaching RM129.16 billion , while gross imports saw a significant 26.2% year-on-year increase to RM123.49 billion . The financial services sector attracted the highest foreign inflows, with RM352.2 million , followed by healthcare at RM211.9 million , and property at RM55.0 million . In contrast, the utilities sector recorded the highest outflows at RM172.3 million , with techn...