Bursa Malaysia Ends Lower Amid Cautious Regional Sentiment

By Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower for the second consecutive day on Thursday, dragged down by weakness in selected Petronas-related, telco and banking heavyweights, reflecting the cautious sentiment that continues to weigh on regional markets.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) dipped 3.21 points, or 0.20 per cent, to 1,577.67 from Wednesday’s close of 1,580.88.   

The benchmark index opened 0.26 of-a-point lower at 1,580.62 and moved between 1,572.51 and 1,581.49 throughout the day.

On the broader market, decliners thumped gainers 644 to 347, with 525 counters unchanged, 824 untraded and 22 suspended.

Turnover fell to 3.15 billion units worth RM2.43 billion from 3.42 billion units worth RM2.65 billion yesterday.

Apex Securities Bhd head of research Kenneth Leong said mounting concerns over tariff imposition by the US along with the hawkish tone delivered by the US Federal Reserve sent investors shying away from equity markets in emerging markets.

“We are keeping our view that volatility will remain a feature amid uncertainties from external tariff shocks.

“Meanwhile, there is also less excitement on the local front with investors continuing to digest the recent batch of corporate earnings,” he told Bernama.

UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said investor confidence remains fragile, undermined by persistent foreign fund outflows and an increasingly complex global economic landscape.

He said across the region, Asian markets ended mostly lower as investors reassessed the implications of US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff announcement.

“The proposed levies on lumber, automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals—set to take effect ‘within the next month or sooner’—have reignited concerns over escalating trade tensions and potential disruptions to global supply chains.

“Profit-taking in Chinese technology stocks, fuelled by optimism over DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence breakthrough, has exacerbated regional weakness as investors reassess valuations, triggering broad-based selling,” he told Bernama.

Mohd Sedek said given Malaysia’s critical role in the regional semiconductor supply chain, any sustained correction in Chinese technology stocks could place additional downward pressure on local players in the sector. 

“Looking ahead, with global uncertainties showing little sign of abating, market volatility is expected to persist in the near term.

“Investors will closely monitor developments in US monetary policy, trade negotiations, and China’s economic trajectory for clearer directional cues. In this environment, a disciplined and selective investment approach remains paramount,” he added.

Regionally, Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.24 per cent to 38,678.04, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1.60 per cent to 22,576.98, Singapore’s Straits Times Index decreased 0.17 per cent to 3,927.51, China’s Shanghai Composite Index eased 0.02 per cent to 3,350.78, and South Korea’s Kospi slid 0.65 per cent to 2,654.06. 

Back home, heavyweights Maybank dropped six sen to RM10.44, Public Bank lost five sen to RM4.49, and Tenaga Nasional slipped six sen to RM13.80. CIMB gained six sen to RM8.35 while IHH Healthcare was flat at RM7.21.  

For active counters, ACE Market debutant ES Sunlogy was flat at 30 sen, MYEG bagged two sen to RM1.02, and Nationgate Holdings and Hartalega added five sen each to RM2.10 and RM2.49 respectively, while SFP Tech Holdings trimmed 8.5 sen to 40.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index fell 29.02 points to 11,913.38, the FBMT 100 Index was 18.79 points lower at 11,647.01, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 30.92 points to 11,591.12.

The FBM 70 Index erased 8.58 points to 17,368.99 and the FBM ACE Index tumbled 86.63 points to 4,920.53.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index sank 75.35 points to 19,270.80, the Industrial Products and Services Index shed 0.85 of-a-point to 161.20, the Plantation Index lost 30.10 points to 7,392.30, and the Energy Index trimmed 5.58 points to 779.95.

The Main Market volume narrowed to 1.46 billion units worth RM2.10 billion from 1.99 billion units worth RM2.39 billion on Wednesday.

Warrants turnover increased to 1.00 billion units worth RM107.98 million against 978.73 million units worth RM102.18 million previously.

The ACE Market volume expanded to 688.42 million units valued at RM221.16 million versus 449.68 million units valued at RM151.94 million yesterday.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 197.67 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (328.13 million), construction (129.33 million), technology (188.10 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (61.36 million), property (149.07 million), plantation (21.81 million), REITs (13.98 million), closed/fund (2,400), energy (115.26 million), healthcare (152.97 million), telecommunications and media (29.54 million), transportation and logistics (36.91 million), utilities (38.05 million), and business trusts (262,300).

-- BERNAMA