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.
Sector Call: UNDERWEIGHT RHB Research maintains a cautious UNDERWEIGHT stance on the rubber products sector, citing prolonged oversupply , rising cost pressures , and shrinking pricing power . Stock Ratings and Target Prices Company Rating Target Price HARTA (5168.MY) SELL RM1.33 KOSSAN (7153.MY) SELL RM1.23 SUPERMX (7106.MY) SELL RM0.54 TOPGLOV (7113.MY) SELL RM0.65 Riverstone (AP4.SG) BUY SGD0.95 Key Sector Challenges 1. Export Declines Reflect Weak Demand April: -22% MoM glove export drop May: -6% MoM Driven by slow restocking , lingering inventories, and fading momentum from late 2024 front-loading. 2. Rising Regional Competition New glove plants in Indonesia and Vietnam set to threaten Malaysian exports by November 2025 . Aggressive pricing by Chinese manufacturers further pressurises Malaysian players. 3. Margin Pressure from Cost Increases Ringgit appreciation YTD erodes export profit...