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 were under pressure on Wednesday as concerns mounted over incoming US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. The yen extended gains, while commodity currencies like the Australian dollar struggled. Key Market Movements Equities : Japan’s Nikkei : Fell 0.9% , led by a 3% decline in the autos sector due to tariff fears and a stronger yen. Taiwan : Down 0.2% . South Korea’s Kospi : Barely rose 0.1% , after a 0.6% drop on Tuesday. Mainland Chinese blue chips : Declined 0.4% , though Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1% . MSCI Asia-Pacific Index : Dropped 0.1% , contrasting with gains in US markets overnight. Currencies : Yuan : Weakened 0.1% to 7.2650 per dollar , near a four-month low. Mexican Peso : Fell to 20.7000 per dollar , nearing its recent trough. Canadian Dollar : Softened to...