Bursa Malaysia expected to maintain cautious bias next week on external uncertainties

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia is expected to maintain a cautious bias next week as investors adopt a measured yet constructive stance while navigating domestic developments, amid lingering external uncertainties and uneven regional market sentiment.

Berjaya Research Sdn Bhd head of research Kenneth Leong said investors would be monitoring the start of the US corporate earnings season for further clues on corporate profitability and the resilience of the global economy.

"Market sentiment is expected to remain guarded, with the benchmark likely to be influenced by regional market performance as well as ongoing developments in West Asia," he told Bernama.

For the trading week ended yesterday, Bursa Malaysia traded mostly higher, supported by market optimism and sustained buying following the Budget 2027 announcement, before retreating on Thursday and Friday due to profit-taking.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.69 of a point to 1,607.76 from 1,608.45 a week earlier.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index dropped 106.56 points to 11,992.27, the FBM Top 100 Index lost 84.63 points to 11,786.77, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index slipped 209.91 points to 11,919.87.

The FBM ACE Index slumped 223.52 points to 5,431.05, and the FBM Mid 70 Index tumbled 457.17 points to 17,225.94.

By sector, the Energy Index edged down 17.57 points to 821.0, the Plantation Index erased 257.38 points to 8,632.88, and the Industrial Products and Services Index fell 7.96 points to 172.79. The Financial Services Index soared 327.0 points to 18,862.82.

Weekly turnover fell to 16.41 billion units worth RM15.57 billion from 19.63 billion units worth RM15.72 billion in the previous week.

Main Market volume narrowed to 9.58 billion units valued at RM13.89 billion from 11.86 billion units valued at RM13.68 billion previously.

Warrant turnover declined to 4.23 billion units worth RM573.41 million from 4.91 billion units worth RM816.07 million in the previous week.

ACE Market volume slipped to 2.60 billion units valued at RM1.01 billion compared with 2.86 billion units valued at RM1.22 billion in the previous week.