Bursa Malaysia Ends Lower On Cautious Sentiment

By Durratul Ain Ahmad Fuad

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower for the third consecutive day today as investors remained cautious ahead of a key trade policy announcement from the United States (US) President Donald Trump.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 3.31 points or 0.21 per cent to 1,571.39 from last Friday’s close of 1,574.70. 

The market bellwether opened 2.43 points lower at 1,572.27, and moved between 1,568.59 and 1,580.80 throughout the day. 

On the broader market, decliners beat gainers 707 to 354, while 425 counters were unchanged, 831 untraded, and six suspended. 

Turnover narrowed to 3.18 billion units worth RM2.44 billion from 4.39 billion units worth RM6.45 billion last Friday. 

UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said the looming decision on the US tariffs targeting Canada, Mexico, and China has amplified market uncertainty, prompting investors to reduce exposure to equities amid heightened geopolitical risks.

“While the trade dispute primarily involves the US and China, its spillover effects continue to influence local market sentiment and Malaysia’s trade exposure,” he told Bernama. 

He said that with trade tensions escalating and policy uncertainty persisting, market participants will likely remain cautious, favouring defensive positioning and selective opportunities in sectors resilient to external shocks.

“Moving forward, clarity on trade negotiations will be a critical catalyst for sentiment and market direction,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI closed with a marginal decline amid subdued market sentiment.

“Regional markets were mixed as investors awaited further clarity on Trump’s tariff measures against key trading partners,” he said. 

He noted that the US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick reaffirmed that the additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports was confirmed.

“On the other hand, the upcoming two-session meetings in China will be closely observed by investors for guidance on economic policies and potential stimulus efforts,” he said. 

Back home, Thong expects the local bourse to stay prudent given the major change in macro situation and anticipates the benchmark index to remain in consolidation mode in the near term until more clarity surfaces.

“As such, we anticipate the FBM KLCI to trend within the range of 1,560-1,590 for the week,” he added. 

Bursa Malaysia heavyweights Public Bank gained 3.0 sen to RM4.56, CIMB perked up 19.0 sen to RM8.00, Tenaga Nasional added 10.0 sen to RM13.70, Maybank decreased 4.0 sen to RM10.68, and IHH Healthcare shrank 3.0 sen to RM7.42. 

As for the actives, MY EG picked up 6.0 sen to 93.5 sen, Pantech Global fell 10.5 sen to 57.5 sen, Cape EMS lost 2.5 sen to 24.5 sen, and Nationgate Holdings slipped 55.0 sen to RM1.30, while Genting Malaysia was flat at RM1.90.

In a Bursa Malaysia filing today, it said that the intraday short selling (IDSS) for Nationgate Holdings stock has been suspended for the rest of the day as the last done price of the approved securities dropped more than 15 per cent or 15 sen from the reference price.

“The short selling under IDSS will only be activated the following trading day, March 4, 2025 at 8.30 am,” it added. 

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index lost 24.43 points to 11,711.89, the FBMT 100 Index declined 17.20 points to 11,479.37, the FBM Emas Shariah Index slid 63.76 points to 11,348.03, and the FBM ACE Index was 64.92 points easier at 4,692.07. However, the FBM 70 Index rose 2.75 points to 16,639.38.

By sector, the Energy Index picked up 1.41 points to 755.55, the Financial Services Index firmed by 57.08 points to 19,384.03, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 1.82 points to 156.53, and the Plantation Index trimmed 90.01 points to 7,519.69.

The Main Market volume slipped to 1.64 billion units worth RM2.19 billion from 3.08 billion units worth RM6.22 billion last Friday. 

Warrants turnover advanced to 1.13 billion units worth RM117.87 million against 895.42 million units worth RM86.33 million previously.

The ACE Market volume expanded to 410.41 million units valued at RM125.43 million versus last Friday’s 409.10 million units valued at RM139.80 million. 

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 328.62 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (427.09 million), construction (117.82 million), technology (207.07 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (92.72 million), property (121.43 million), plantation (22.94 million), REITs (17.50 million), closed/fund (10,700), energy (154.16 million), healthcare (70.43 million), telecommunications and media (25.98 million), transportation and logistics (25.99 million), utilities (27.15 million), and business trusts (739,800).

-- BERNAMA