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.
Quick Summary Malaysia’s stock market surged to its highest level since 2018 , with the FBM KLCI jumping 1.4% as the ringgit strengthened past the 4.00 mark against the US dollar. Strong confidence in Malaysia’s AI supply chain role , resilient domestic demand and continued foreign inflows lifted overall market sentiment, even as global trade headlines stayed volatile. What Drove the Rally FBM KLCI closed at 1,744.07 , up 24.08 points (+1.4%) , its strongest finish in more than seven years Ringgit strengthened to around RM3.97/USD , reinforcing foreign investor confidence Malaysia assets benefited from AI-related optimism , data centre expansion and steady economic fundamentals Gains came despite mixed market breadth, suggesting index-heavy buying rather than broad-based speculation Global Backdrop US markets closed higher as strength in selected Big Tech names offset weakness elsewhere, while investors largely expect the US Federal ...