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.
Asian markets slid on Monday amid growing confusion over US tariff plans and a sharp drop in oil prices, as geopolitical chess games and economic policymaking collide once again. President Donald Trump’s weekend announcement hinted at a delay in tariff hikes until August 1 , with letters to be sent to countries “not moving fast enough” on trade negotiations. Yet, the lack of specific details on countries affected and rates applied left investors in the dark. “The path forward isn’t clear, but the terrain is littered with risk.” — Stephen Innes, SPI Asset Management Key Market Moves: Nikkei (Japan): -0.5% CSI 300 (China): -0.5% MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan: -0.6% South Korea: Flat Singapore STI: +0.3% to 4,025.72 (as of 12:31 PM) – notably bucking the regional trend Trade Policy: Clouded by Ambiguity While Trump’s team claims the new tariff letters are imminent, the lack of concrete agreements — especially...