Bursa Opens Softer As Investors Eye 13MP, Fed Signals Pause

By Danni Haizal Danial Donald

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia opened slightly lower on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) announcement later today, and after the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) signalled a prolonged pause in interest rate cuts.

At 9.12 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 2.30 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 1,522.20 from Wednesday’s close of 1,524.50.

The benchmark index had opened 0.51 of a point firmer at 1,523.99.

Market breadth was marginally positive, with 162 gainers outpacing 130 decliners. A total of 277 counters were unchanged, 1,926 untraded, and 53 suspended.

Turnover stood at 198.38 million shares worth RM78.92 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said investors were awaiting the 13MP announcement this afternoon, though its immediate market impact could be limited given its long-term fiscal reform focus.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to table the 13MP in the Dewan Rakyat today. The five-year development blueprint will chart the nation’s economic direction from 2026 to 2030.

Thong added that sentiment was also weighed by Wall Street’s mixed overnight performance, following the Fed’s decision to keep rates unchanged as it continues to assess the impact of US tariffs.

“The FBM KLCI remained lacklustre, moving within a narrow range before ending marginally higher. With no clear catalysts, we expect the index to trend between the 1,520 and 1,530 range today,” he told Bernama.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose three sen to RM9.48 and IHH Healthcare gained seven sen to RM6.70. Public Bank slipped six sen to RM4.23, Tenaga Nasional lost four sen to RM13.24, and CIMB eased two sen to RM6.53.

On the actively traded list, Pharmaniaga slipped half a sen to 15.5 sen, Pestec International fell 1.5 sen to 13.5 sen, and TWL was flat at 2.5 sen. Zetrix AI added two sen to 86.5 sen, while Northeast Group advanced five sen to 69 sen.

Top gainers included PPB, which climbed 11 sen to RM9.42, while Dutch Lady Milk Industries and ITMax System rose 10 sen each to RM27.30 and RM4.05, respectively.

Among the top losers, Nestle declined 10 sen to RM87.30, Bursa Malaysia eased six sen to RM4.23, and MMM Group dropped 4.5 sen to 1.5 sen.

On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index shed 7.20 points to 11,428.33, while the FBMT 100 Index slipped 8.23 points to 11,190.47. The FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 11.09 points to 11,485.11.

The FBM 70 Index gained 25.87 points to 16,515.57, and the FBM ACE Index edged up 5.74 points to 4,599.62.

By sector, the Financial Services Index fell 56.71 points to 17,241.02, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.12 of a point to 160.77, and the Plantation Index was down 1.93 points at 7,405.58. The Energy Index climbed 4.11 points to 747.82.

-- BERNAMA