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.
Major financial firms including BlackRock Inc and Invesco Ltd are competing to offer private market investments through exchange-traded funds (ETFs), aiming to make these typically exclusive assets accessible to a broader range of investors. This move could inject new capital into private markets, which have seen explosive growth but are currently facing challenges. Key Takeaways: Growing Interest in Private Markets via ETFs : BlackRock , Invesco , and others are exploring ways to offer private market assets through ETFs. Private markets are valued at over $13 trillion, while ETFs are gaining popularity at the expense of traditional mutual funds. Challenges and Innovations : The primary challenge is the liquidity mismatch between illiquid private assets and the inherently liquid ETF structure. Potential solutions include synthetic exposure through swaps or creating liquid alternative ETFs to mimic private asset performance. Regulatory and Technical Hurdles : The SEC limits open-ended f...