KUALA LUMPUR, 25 September 2025 – Bursa Malaysia ended Thursday’s trading session in negative territory, with the FBM KLCI slipping 1.19 points, or 0.07%, to close at 1,598.47, dragged by profit-taking in financial and plantation heavyweights. The index fell back below the 1,600 psychological level, reflecting subdued sentiment amid global macro headwinds.
The market had opened cautiously in line with regional peers, briefly edging higher before losing ground by mid-day. Throughout the session, the benchmark fluctuated between 1,595.62 and 1,602.10 before settling lower. Analysts pointed to overnight weakness on Wall Street—spurred by continued caution from U.S. Federal Reserve officials on valuations—as a dampener on local sentiment.
Market Breadth and Sector Moves
Trading activity was modest, with overall market breadth tilted negative as decliners outpaced gainers. Daily turnover hovered around the 3.0 billion shares mark, with total value traded slipping compared to earlier in the week.
Among key heavyweights, Maybank dipped three sen to RM9.79, CIMB lost four sen to RM7.25, and Tenaga Nasional fell six sen to RM13.28. Public Bank eased one sen to RM4.26, while IHH Healthcare held steady at RM7.36.
In the broader market, JS Solar (which recently debuted on the ACE Market) edged up two sen to 41 sen, continuing to draw speculative retail interest. Pharmaniaga rose one sen, while NexG maintained momentum from recent expansion news, adding a sen to 53 sen. On the downside, consumer and plantation-linked counters dragged sentiment, with United Plantations sliding 20 sen to RM22.68 and Petronas Dagangan easing 18 sen to RM21.82.
Sector performance showed Financial Services and Plantations leading the losses, while Energy held firm on stronger crude oil prices. Industrial Products & Services and Utilities were broadly stable, cushioning sharper downside in the index.
Sentiment and Outlook
Analysts described today’s dip as largely technical, with investors taking profits after the KLCI briefly reclaimed the 1,600 level earlier in the week. Despite the slip, they emphasised that the market remains in a consolidation phase rather than a bearish turn.
Immediate support is seen around 1,585–1,590, with resistance at 1,610–1,620 if buying interest in heavyweights returns. Market participants are expected to stay cautious until clearer signals emerge from U.S. economic data and central bank policy direction.
Domestically, investors are also watching for fresh catalysts, including third-quarter earnings announcements from major banks, developments in subsidy and fiscal measures ahead of Budget 2026, and potential new corporate deals or IPOs in the pipeline.
Regional Market Context
Across Asia, equity markets delivered mixed performances. Japan’s Nikkei closed slightly lower as exporters reacted to yen volatility, while South Korea’s KOSPI managed fractional gains on the back of technology shares. Hong Kong and mainland China indices were choppy, reflecting lingering concerns in property and regulatory sectors. Most Southeast Asian peers mirrored global caution, with regional investors opting to lock in profits rather than chase fresh highs.
