At 5pm, the FBM KLCI slipped 3.73 points, or 0.23%, to 1,611.46.
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia reversed earlier gains to close lower yesterday, weighed down by late selling in selected heavyweight counters as investors turned cautious amid a regional downtrend.
At 5pm, the FBM KLCI slipped 3.73 points, or 0.23%, to 1,611.46 from 1,615.19 at Monday’s close.
The benchmark index opened 2.10 points higher at 1,617.29 and moved between 1,610.05 and 1,622.75 throughout the trading session.
The broader market was negative with 811 decliners thumping 390 gainers, while 503 counters were unchanged, 955 untraded, and nine suspended.
Turnover increased to 3.66 billion units worth RM3.78 billion compared with 3.57 billion units valued at RM2.82 billion previously.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices ended mostly lower as investors remained cautious amid lingering uncertainty over US-China trade tensions, which continued to weigh on market sentiment.
“Even though US President Donald Trump mentioned that he might still meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month at a regional summit, investors remained doubtful. Back home, the FBM KLCI reversed its earlier gains to close in the red due to late selling in selected heavyweight counters,” he told Bernama.
IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said the FBM KLCI’s late-session weakness underscored the fragile equilibrium currently shaping regional markets.
“Domestic resilience, supported by fiscal stimulus, is being offset by external uncertainties. While Budget 2026 provides a credible domestic anchor, the global backdrop, marked by inconsistent trade signals and persistent geopolitical risks, continues to restrain a sustained market recovery,” he noted.
On the local bourse, heavyweights Tenaga Nasional Bhd
eased six sen to RM13.20, and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd fell eight sen to RM7.35.
