KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
This week is not about chasing upside — it’s about managing exposure through a policy and earnings convergence . With the FOMC decision and a heavy slate of mega-cap earnings , markets are testing whether valuations can hold without immediate rate relief . The base case is stability, but positioning remains vulnerable to tone shocks , not data surprises. Think of this week as risk calibration , not trend confirmation. Macro Playbook: FOMC Is the Risk Switch Base expectation Rates held unchanged No new forward guidance Powell reiterates “data-dependent” stance What actually matters How Powell frames inflation persistence vs growth cooling Whether he pushes back on market-priced mid-year cuts Any signal on financial conditions becoming too loose Market interpretation Flexible tone → risk assets stabilize, volatility fades Rigid tone → duration reprices, equities de-rate quickly Playbook stance: Stay neutra...