Bursa Malaysia Opens Marginally Higher Amid Cautious Trading Ahead of US Fed Meeting

Bursa Malaysia's FBM KLCI rose 0.29% driven by heavyweight stocks in financial services and industrial products & services. The broader market sentiment was slightly bearish with losers edging past gainers. Turnover stood at 1.78 billion units worth RM992.39 million. Investors are expected to trade cautiously ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting and President Donald Trump's tariff deadline.

Bursa Malaysia's benchmark index, the FBM KLCI, rose by 0.29% on Monday, driven by gains in heavyweight stocks within the financial services and industrial products & services sectors. The broader market sentiment remained slightly bearish, with more losers than gainers. Trading volume was robust, with 1.78 billion units worth RM992.39 million changing hands [2].

The FBM KLCI closed at 1,520.03 points, up from the previous close of 1,519.40 points. The financial services sector contributed significantly to the index's rise, with the Financial Services Index gaining 36.2 points to 17,346.87 points. Meanwhile, the industrial products and services sector also performed well, with the Industrial Products and Services Index rising by 0.11 of a point to 154.15 points [2].

Investors, however, remained cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting and President Donald Trump's tariff deadline. The market breadth was negative, with 342 gainers compared to 607 losers. Leading movers included PMETAL (+18 sen to RM5.31), AXIATA (+6 sen to RM2.59), YTLPOWR (+4 sen to RM4.19), IHH (+6 sen to RM6.63), and PETDAG (+14 sen to RM21.34). Lagging movers included SUNWAY (-17 sen to RM4.89), MRDIY (-3 sen to RM1.59), HLBANK (-28 sen to RM19.08), GAMUDA (-7 sen to RM5.26), and CDB (-5 sen to RM3.79) [1].

Market participants are closely monitoring the US Federal Reserve's meeting, scheduled for later this week, and the ongoing negotiations between Malaysia and the United States over tariffs. The central bank has already revised its growth forecast for 2025, projecting expansion within the range of 4% to 4.8%, due to the fallout from US tariffs [3].

In conclusion, while Bursa Malaysia's FBM KLCI showed resilience on Monday, investors remain cautious due to the upcoming US Federal Reserve meeting and President Trump's tariff deadline. The market's performance will likely be influenced by the outcomes of these events.

References:
[1] https://www.bursamalaysia.com/bm/market_information/market_data_overview
[2] https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2025/07/23/bursa-inches-up-as-bargain-hunters-circle-eyes-stay-on-1520-mark/184846
[3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-28/malaysia-central-bank-cuts-growth-forecast-on-tariff-volatility