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.
Wall Street Cheers Despite Tariff Noise Global investors kicked off the week on a high note: S&P 500 : ▲1.47% Nasdaq : ▲1.95% Dow Jones : ▲1.34% Markets shrugged off weak US jobs data and Trump’s renewed tariff threats on India . The EU also paused retaliatory tariffs after a tentative deal with Washington. Earnings Spotlight : Palantir doubled its Q2 profit to $326.7M and raised guidance, thanks to a 68% surge in US revenue. Malaysia Commits $240B in US Trade Deal, Slashes Tariffs Malaysia secured a reduced US tariff rate of 19% , down from 25%, by committing to over $240B in trade agreements , including big-ticket items like Boeing aircraft and coal. Why It Matters: The US was Malaysia’s top export destination in 2024 (RM198.7B). Lower tariffs align Malaysia with other ASEAN peers. It also supports FDI inflow , solidifying trade relations. Bursa Malaysia Dips Despite Regional Optimism FBM KLCI : ▼0.42% to 1,526.98 T...