KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI is facing downside pressure as the risk-off mood in equities intensified following the US President's declaration that the treaty with Iran was over.
Brent crude oil futures for September delivery surged over 5% overnight amid the prospect of further supply disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. At the time of writing, Brent was trading at US$78.72 a barrel.
The FBM KLCI was 2.62 points lower at 1,680.99, holding to a sideways trading channel that began on Monday.
Apex Securities said a sustained oil price spike represents a "double-edged sword" as it should lend some support to energy-linked counters, but raise input cost and inflation risk for the broader economy.
It added the higher energy cost could complicate Bank Negara's policy calculus, even though the central bank is still widely expected to hold the OPR at 2.75% at Thursday's decision.
"We would stay defensive into the OPR decision and the Johor state election (July 11), given this added layer of geopolitical uncertainty on top of already-fragile regional chip sentiment," it said in its market outlook.
On the blue-chip index, MISC dropped 11 sen to RM7.83, Kuala Lumpur Kepong fell 38 sen to RM21.12 and IHH shed six sne to RM8.26.
Bank stocks were mixed with Maybank rising two sen to RM10.96 while CIMB dropped two sen to RM7.62 and Public Bank shaving five sen to RM4.88.
Among the market's mostve active shares, digital transformation firm SRKK AI leapt 25.5 sen to 57.5 sen as it made its debut on the ACE Market.
Tanco rose 0.5 sen to 19 sen and I5ris was up 1.5 sen to 27 sen.
