Positive outlook for local equity markets

KUALA LUMPUR: Interest in the local equity market will likely continue as a combination of structural changes at the macroeconomic level, renewed business and consumer confidence, large-scale initial public offers and companies' regional diversification boost earnings.

Deutsche Bank's Asean/Malaysia equity research head Teoh Su-Yin said at a media briefing yesterday that despite the usual view of Malaysia being a defensive slow-growth market, changes at the macro level over the last few years had spurred interest in the country's equity market, which was the second-best performer in US dollar terms after Thailand in 2010.