KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI extended its uptrend on Tuesday as sentiment improved, with the ringgit hitting a 13-month high against the US dollar.
The 30-stock index gained 7.45 points, or 0.46%, to close at 1,634.83, its highest level since Oct 3, 2025, when it reached 1,642.90. It traded between an intraday high of 1,642.90 and a low of 1,630.77 during the session.
On the broader market, winners and losers were closely balanced, with 537 gainers against 560 losers and 585 that were flat. About 3.53 billion shares, valued at RM2.8bil, changed hands.
Dealers said improved economic data, including Malaysia’s steady 3.0% unemployment rate in September, spurred broad-based buying across key sectors and bolstered confidence in the FBM KLCI’s upward momentum.
They added that sentiment was further supported by expectations of a resolution to the U.S. government shutdown.
Among the top gainers on Bursa Malaysia, F&N jumped RM1.44 to RM30.20, United Plantations added 42 sen to RM25.80, PJBumi rose 36 sen to RM1.58, and Malaysian Pacific Industries
advanced 30 sen to RM31.40.
On the other hand, UMS Integration slipped 24 sen to RM4.52, Westports eased 15 sen to RM5.30, MISC shed 13 sen to RM7.74, and Sunway Construction fell 13 sen to RM5.53.
Meanwhile, the ringgit extended its gains, hitting a 13-month high at 4.1432 against the US dollar, up 0.38%.
In terms of fund flows, foreign investors bought RM60mil worth of equities on Monday, while local institutions and retailers were net sellers, offloading RM9mil and RM51mil respectively.
On the external front, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index was lower by 0.03%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 0.14% to 50,842.93 while South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.81% to 4,106.39.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 0.18% higher at 26,696.41.
China’s CSI300 index fell 0.91% to 4,652.17 while the Shanghai Composite eased 0.39% to 4,002.76.
Reuters reported that Singapore’s benchmark stock index climbed to an all-time high on Tuesday, with the FTSE Straits Times Index rising as much as 1.4% to a record 4,552.05 points.
