Post by : Rameen Ariff

Kuala Lumpur – Bursa Malaysia ended Thursday’s trading session almost unchanged as investors chose to stay on the sidelines amid persistent global market volatility and uncertainty surrounding key international developments. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) edged up just 0.74 of a point, or 0.05 per cent, to close at 1,612.29 compared with Wednesday’s close of 1,611.55.

Throughout the session, Bursa Malaysia traded in a narrow range, opening slightly lower at 1,611.39 and moving between 1,611.28 and 1,617.28. The flat movement reflected investor hesitation ahead of a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month in South Korea — an event many believe could sway global market sentiment and influence trading trends on Bursa Malaysia.

According to Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd’s vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, the Bursa Malaysia market is likely to remain cautious for the rest of the week. “Volatility is expected to persist as investors await clarity from the potential Trump–Xi meeting,” he said. “Given the uncertainty, we expect the FBM KLCI to remain rangebound within the 1,610–1,620 level toward the weekend.” His remarks underscored the cautious mood that continues to shape Bursa Malaysia’s trading outlook.

Market breadth on Bursa Malaysia was mixed, with 578 decliners leading 536 gainers, while 548 counters were unchanged. Turnover fell to 3.49 billion units worth RM2.85 billion, compared with 4.26 billion units valued at RM3.71 billion in the previous session, highlighting the lack of fresh buying interest among local and institutional investors on Bursa Malaysia.

Among heavyweight stocks on Bursa Malaysia, Public Bank rose two sen to RM4.22, while IHH Healthcare slipped three sen to RM8.04. Maybank, Tenaga Nasional, and CIMB Group closed unchanged at RM9.92, RM13.18, and RM7.34 respectively. Active movers included Genting Bhd, which gained seven sen to RM3.47, Tanco Holdings up 1.5 sen to 88 sen, and Zetrix AI, which edged one sen higher to 85.5 sen. Genting Malaysia, however, eased one sen to RM2.33, while TWL Holdings was flat at 2.5 sen.

On Bursa Malaysia’s top gainers list, Nestle rose RM2.00 to RM104.70, Malaysian Pacific Industries jumped 76 sen to RM29.60, and Petronas Gas climbed 48 sen to RM19.00. United Plantations gained 36 sen to RM23.60, while Frontken Corp added 22 sen to RM4.78. The top decliners included Petronas Dagangan, which fell 70 sen to RM22.30, PLB Engineering down 13.5 sen to 86.5 sen, and PIE Industrial easing 13 sen to RM3.13.

Sectoral indices on Bursa Malaysia painted a mixed picture. The Financial Services Index gained 27.21 points to 18,222.41, and the Plantation Index added 14.88 points to 7,861.23. In contrast, the Industrial Products and Services Index slipped 0.31 of a point to 173.63, while the Energy Index fell 4.47 points to 795.56, reflecting selective buying interest across sectors.

Trading volume on the Bursa Malaysia Main Market dropped to 2.01 billion units valued at RM2.55 billion, down from 2.27 billion units worth RM3.32 billion on Wednesday. Warrants turnover fell to 997.49 million units valued at RM117.36 million, while the ACE Market volume declined to 479.68 million units worth RM179.84 million.

Consumer products and services counters led activity on Bursa Malaysia with 436.91 million shares traded, followed by technology (406.81 million), property (253.78 million), and industrial products and services (316.17 million). Other active sectors included energy, healthcare, telecommunications, construction, and plantations, signaling steady but cautious investor participation.

As Bursa Malaysia continues to navigate global uncertainty, market analysts expect limited momentum in the short term. The focus remains on international developments, currency movements, and crude oil prices — key factors that could determine whether Bursa Malaysia breaks out of its current narrow trading band or remains subdued heading into the final quarter of the year.

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