Bursa Malaysia ends mixed in choppy trading
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended a choppy but directionless trading session, with the index moving in a narrow range, amid global uncertainties, as investors refrained from taking long positions.
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) reversed earlier losses to settle 0.31 of-a-point, or 0.02 per cent, higher at 1,511.95 from Tuesday's close of 1,511.64.
The benchmark index opened 0.25 of-a-point higher at 1,511.89 and fluctuated between 1,509.42 and 1,512.96 throughout the trading session.
The broader market was however negative, with 488 decliners outnumbering 361 gainers. A total of 503 counters were unchanged, 1,054 untraded and 13 suspended.
Turnover declined to 2.42 billion units valued at RM1.79 billion compared with Tuesday's 3.03 billion units worth RM1.92 billion.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices finished broadly lower as geopolitical tensions escalated over potential involvement of the US in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Risk appetite declined amid reports that US President Donald Trump had met with senior advisers to review military options, including possible strikes on Iran.
"Locally, we maintain our cautious stance due to the escalation geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
"We are hopeful that Israel and Iran will engage in peace talks to ease tensions and restore confidence among local investors," he told Bernama.
Thong noted that buying opportunities may emerge in oil and gas and plantation stocks.
"For the moment, we maintain our weekly FBM KLCI target at the 1,500-1,530 range," he said.
Meanwhile, UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd's head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said on the local front, attention turned to the progress of the US-Malaysia trade negotiations.
Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz and his delegation's arrival in Washington to engage with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and senior officials marks a pivotal moment in addressing tariff-related uncertainties that have clouded investor outlook in recent weeks.
"Despite the cautious backdrop, selected domestically oriented sectors saw notable interest. Consumer discretionary and telecommunications stocks led gainers, underscoring investor confidence in Malaysia's underlying economic resilience," said Mohd Sedek.
Adding to the constructive narrative, Malaysia's sharp rise in the latest International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) 2025 -- advancing 11 spots to 23rd globally -- reinforces the country's reform momentum and macroeconomic credibility.
"This supports our positive medium-term outlook, particularly for the construction sector, where structural themes such as hyperscale data centre investments and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone are expected to serve as key catalysts for growth," he added.
Among heavyweights, Maybank gained 7.0 sen to RM9.62, Tenaga dipped 8.0 sen to RM14.22, Public Bank added 2.0 sen to RM4.24, CIMB slid 1.0 sen to RM6.65, and IHH Healthcare eased 4.0 sen to RM6.85.
As for the most active stocks, Tanco Holdings inched up half-a-sen to 98 sen, SNS Network Technology gained 4.0 sen to 53.5 sen, Magma Group rose 3.0 sen to 46 sen, NexG shed 1.5 sen to 34.5 sen, and Alam Maritim Resources slid half-a-sen to 3.0 sen.
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