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.
Fed Signals Patience Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell struck a cautious tone in his testimony to Congress, signaling no immediate rate cuts while inflation remains above target. However, he left the door open for easing later this year , depending on data. Market Context The Fed is in wait-and-see mode, watching both inflation trends and labor market strength . Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions and new tariffs add layers of complexity to the economic outlook. Where Smart Money Is Moving: 1. Rate-Cut Sensitive Stocks Potential beneficiaries if the Fed pivots: Sectors : Homebuilders, Utilities, REITs, Consumer Discretionary Stocks to Watch : D.R. Horton, Lennar, NextEra Energy, Digital Realty Trust, Home Depot, Amazon 2. Defense & Cybersecurity Tensions like Iran-Israel are fueling demand: Sectors : Defense Contractors, Cybersecurity Stocks to Watch : Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet 3. Energ...