Bursa Malaysia Pares Earlier Gains To Close Flat On Caution

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia pared earlier gains in the session to close flat on Tuesday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of domestic policy announcements and on worries over a US government shutdown, an analyst said.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) tilted up 0.93 0f-a-point, or 0.06 per cent, to 1,611.88, up from Monday’s close of 1,610.95.

The benchmark index opened 0.87 of a point higher at 1,611.82 and moved between 1,608.69 and 1,619.11 throughout the trading session.

The market breadth was almost equally balanced, with decliners marginally outnumbering gainers 557 to 549. A total of 503 counters were unchanged, 1,006 untraded, and 81 suspended.

Turnover narrowed to 3.47 billion units valued at RM3.16 billion, from 3.77 billion units worth RM2.47 billion on Monday.

Research firm IPPFA Sdn Bhd director and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said the trading today was mixed, with consumer and utilities stocks leading both the gainers and the laggards, “reflecting selective rotation rather than broad-based momentum. This underscores a market that is highly stock-specific, awaiting clearer catalysts to drive direction,” he told Bernama.

Mohd Sedek said foreign fund flows provided a more constructive signal, with international investors emerging as net buyers of Malaysian equities yesterday. This reinforces the view that, despite external headwinds, Malaysia’s capital market remains an attractive regional allocation, supported by resilient domestic fundamentals and appealing relative valuations.

“Nevertheless, the sentiment is likely to remain in a holding pattern as investors await the tabling of Budget 2026 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim next week, where attention will focus on potential flagship investment announcements that could reset market tone and influence sectoral positioning,” he added.

Meanwhile, a looming US federal government shutdown appeared even more likely after top Democrats and Republicans met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, according to media reports.  If both sides failed to agree,  the shutdown could begin as soon as Wednesday.

Of the heavyweight counters, YTL Corporation rose seven sen to RM2.78, Sunway surged 11 sen to RM5.65, and Tenaga gained eight sen to RM13.22. Petronas Dagangan added 36 sen to RM22.94, and PPB bagged 20 sen to RM10.20. 

In active trade, NexG Bina, TWL, and Permaju were all flat at 9.5 sen, 2.5 sen, and one sen, respectively. Zetrix AI dropped one sen to 85 sen, and VS Industry added one sen to 59 sen.

Besides Petronas Dagangan and PPB, top gainers included Ayer, which rallied 33 sen to RM7.50, while PJBumi soared 18 sen to RM2.78, and Aeon Credit Service jumped 18 sen to RM5.53.

Among the top losers, Nestle fell 88 sen to RM96.22, MPI lost 38 sen to RM28.72, and Hume Cement Industries slid 16 sen to RM3.49. Kluang Rubber fell 15 sen to RM5.55, and Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia shed 14 sen to RM8.40.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index trimmed 2.55 points to 11,985.89, the FBM 100 Index dipped 1.34 points to 11,722.62, but the FBM Emas Shariah Index climbed 6.91 points to 12,016.55. The FBM 70 Index slid 37.26 points to 16,746.59, and the FBM ACE Index fell 18.55 points to 5,171.31.

By sector, the Industrial Products and Services Index slipped 0.29 of a point to 171.46, and the Energy Index lost 1.64 points to 776.62. The Plantation Index gained 8.01 points to 7,119.58, and the Financial Services Index declined 17.15 points to 18,246.73.

The Main Market volume expanded to 1.87 billion units worth RM2.83 billion, versus 1.68 billion units valued at RM2.08 billion on Monday.

Warrant turnover narrowed to 1.03 billion units valued at RM155.25 million, against 1.26 billion units worth RM191.47 million yesterday.

The ACE Market volume fell to 565.69 million shares worth RM170.09 million, compared with 815.25 million shares valued at RM195.92 million previously.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 406.61 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (319.40 million), construction (91.47 million), technology (202.24 million), financial services (105.94 million), property (237.64 million), plantation (30.86 million), REITs (20.74 million), closed/fund (306,900), energy (158.90 million), healthcare (134.29 million), telecommunications and media (35.38 million), transportation and logistics (49.07 million), utilities (78.29 million), and business trusts (48,700).

-- BERNAMA