KUALA LUMPUR — Bursa Malaysia opened higher on Thursday as local markets took cues from positive overnight performance on Wall Street, easing some investor apprehension tied to geopolitical uncertainty and elevated crude oil prices.
At 9:16 a.m. local time, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) climbed 3.86 points, or about 0.22 per cent, to 1,702.08 points, rising from Wednesday’s closing level of 1,698.22 after opening 8.03 points higher at 1,706.25. The broader market saw an upbeat tone with gainers outnumbering losers, reflecting constructive market breadth in early trade.
Turnover in early trading was recorded at 233.52 million shares valued at RM159.55 million, indicating solid participation across multiple sectors. Heavyweight counters such as Maybank, Public Bank, and IHH Healthcare each rose, while banks like Hong Leong Bank remained steady and CIMB eased slightly. On the active list, stocks like NexG and Capital A showed modest gains.
Market analysts attributed the positive bias to a combination of external and domestic factors, including easing oil prices, which stabilised above the US$80 per barrel mark, and supportive economic data that helped mitigate concerns over ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The favourable US–Malaysia interest rate differential and a firming ringgit were also seen as providing additional support to banking assets and overall investor confidence.
Despite some recent volatility linked to regional risk sentiment, traders noted continued buying interest in key segments, particularly in banking, energy, and selected mid‑cap names. Some market participants highlighted that optimism around crude price stability and steady macroeconomic indicators could help sustain the positive trend in Malaysian equities.
The market’s performance reflects renewed confidence among institutional and retail investors, with activity levels and sector rotation suggesting that sentiment may be gradually improving after bouts of risk‑off behaviour seen in recent sessions. As global markets continue to respond to shifting geopolitical developments and macroeconomic signals, analysts say Bursa Malaysia’s resilience underlines its role as a key emerging Asian equity market to watch in the near term
