Malaysia's KLCI index opens little changed at 1,531.05

Malaysia's KLCI index opens little changed at 1,531.05

Malaysia's stock market opened with a marginal gain on July 2, 2025, with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rising 1.66 points to 1,531.45 from the previous close of 1,529.79 [1]. This uptick was driven by improved market sentiment following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement of economic measures, including a one-off RM100 cash aid for all Malaysian adults via MyKad, a doubling of the allocation for Rahmah MADANI Sales to RM600 million, and a fixed RON95 petrol price at RM1.99 per litre under a new targeted subsidy plan [1].

The broader market also showed positive performance, with the FBM 70 adding 49.18 points to 16,693.27 and the FBM Emas rising 18.72 points to 11,513.26 [1]. Among the most active stocks in early trade were NexG Resources, unchanged at 52 sen with 279.8 million shares traded, TWL Holdings flat at 2.5 sen, and SFP Tech up 1 sen to 20.5 sen [1].

The previous day, the KLCI had finished modestly lower, with the index falling 5.19 points or 0.34 percent to 1,519.40 after trading between 1,518.75 and 1,527.90 [2]. Losses from the telecoms and plantations sectors were tempered by support from financial shares. Notably, 99 Speed Mart Retail rallied 1.34 percent while Axiata slumped 1.16 percent [2].

Globally, the Asian markets remained subdued, with little clarity on market direction due to the lack of significant catalysts [2]. The U.S. markets were mixed, with the Dow climbing 179.37 points or 0.40 percent to 44,502.44, the NASDAQ shedding 81.49 points or 0.39 percent to 20,892.69, and the S&P 500 perking 4.02 points or 0.06 percent to end at a fresh record high of 6,309.62 [2]. Shares of General Motors (GM) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) were notable losers, while crude oil prices continued to decline amidst tariff negotiation uncertainty [2].

In other parts of Southeast Asia, Singapore's FTSE Straits Times Index gained 0.7 percent, the Thailand SET Index gained 3.4 percent, the Philippines' PSEi Index declined 0.7 percent, and Indonesia's JSX Composite Index rose 1.3 percent [3]. The U.S. dollar Malaysian Ringgit climbed 0.1 percent to 4.25 Malaysian ringgit, while the euro fell 0.3 percent to 4.93 ringgit [3].

The Malaysian market's performance is expected to continue to be influenced by the government's economic measures and global market conditions. Investors should remain vigilant and monitor the impact of these factors on the stock market.

References:
[1] https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2025/07/24/bursa-malaysia-opens-higher-as-anwars-cash-aid-and-fuel-price-cut-lift-sentiment/
[2] https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/malaysia-stock-market-may-see-support-wednesday
[3] https://www.marketwatch.com/data-news/malaysia-s-klci-index-reverses-two-session-falling-streak-4ad8a47b-6ab6031d908b