KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia rebounded to close higher on Wednesday on selective buying of defensive stocks after a volatile trading session. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said consumer products and services stocks lifted the key index higher, overcoming lingering geopolitical concerns. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.08 points to 1,715.56 from yesterday’s close of 1,712.48. The benchmark index, which opened 1.91 points higher at 1,714.39, moved between 1,710.79 and 1,720.59 during the day’s trading. In the broader market, gainers outstripped decliners 550 to 476, while 612 counters were unchanged, 1,129 untraded, and 48 suspended. Turnover rose to 2.96 billion units valued at RM2.48 billion from 2.94 billion units valued at RM2.56 billion on Tuesday.
On July 5, 2024, Wall Street reached new intraday all-time highs, while U.S. Treasurys rallied. This movement followed a nonfarm payrolls report that further supported the case for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, coming after a mid-week holiday. The benchmark S&P 500 gained 0.29%, reaching 5,553.05 points in midday trading, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.75% to 18,325.49 points. However, the Dow experienced a slight decline, down 0.19% at 39,234.47 points. Of the 11 S&P sectors, seven were in positive territory. Before the market opened, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job growth slowed in June, with May's numbers revised lower. Additionally, the unemployment rate increased to 4.1% from 4.0%. According to Wells Fargo's Sarah House, the underlying details indicate a softening U.S. labor market. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, emphasized on social media that it is time for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. He po...