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.
Key Highlights HSBC and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced a $1 billion program to boost trade financing in emerging markets. The initiative will equally share the risk on a portfolio of trade-related assets held by banks in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Objective and Scope Addressing the Trade-Finance Gap : Aims to close the $2.5 trillion global trade-finance gap , with a focus on Asia-Pacific , where demand far outpaces supply. Supports cross-border trade and critical export industries to stabilize global supply chains amid geopolitical tensions and trade barriers. Global Reach : Backed by IFC’s Global Trade Liquidity Program , which has facilitated $80 billion in trade volume over the last 20 years. Impact on Emerging Markets Boosting Supply Chains : Enables smoother trade flows in critical sectors, addressing supply-chain uncertainties. Encourages economic resilienc...