Bursa Malaysia Likely To Trade Higher Next Week, To Test 1,770 Level

By Danni Haizal Danial Donald

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia is likely to trade higher next week, testing the 1,770 level as investors are expected to face an active period ahead of the earnings season.

IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said the upcoming results are likely to serve as a critical barometer of index-level earnings resilience and reaffirm the banking sector’s position as the most structurally robust segment heading into the first half of 2026.

“Fundamentally, Malaysia’s banking sector continues to benefit from a supportive macro-financial environment.

“Gross domestic product (GDP) growth accelerated to 6.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025, while inflation remained moderate, providing a stable backdrop for credit intermediation,” he told Bernama.

Mohd Sedek also said investors’ attention will turn to the release of the United States consumer confidence data on Tuesday.

“Domestically, no major economic data releases are scheduled for the week, keeping market focus squarely on corporate earnings and external developments,” he said.

However, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the market may continue to trade sideways as it absorbs earlier gains.

He said profit-taking in leading blue-chip counters could persist in the near term.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the FBM KLCI rose 13.29 points to 1,752.83 from 1,739.54 a week earlier.

On the index board, the FBM Top 100 Index improved 103.08 points to 12,667.89 and the FBM Emas Index gained 108.58 points to 12,846.78.

The FBM Mid 70 Index jumped 176.03 points to 17,745.70, the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 146.28 points to 12,368.29, and the FBM ACE Index advanced 81.07 points to 4,822.12.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 91.79 points to 21,615.67, the Energy Index rose 24.78 points to 775.88, the Plantation Index gained 43.05 points to 8,419.98, and the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 2.98 points to 178.06.

Weekly turnover slipped to 5.88 billion units worth RM6.53 billion from 12.87 billion units worth RM13.70 billion a week earlier.

Main Market volume declined to 3.76 billion units worth RM6.09 billion from 7.12 billion units worth RM12.5 billion previously.

Warrants turnover slipped to 1.38 billion units valued at RM165.97 million from 3.46 billion units valued at RM394.01 million last week.

Meanwhile, ACE Market volume decreased to 735.33 million units valued at RM274.35 million from 2.28 billion units valued at RM803.8 million in the prior week.

-- BERNAMA