Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia is expected to maintain its positive momentum next week, with the possibility of an upside breakout above the 1,560 level, according to an analyst.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd's head of investment research, Mohd Sedek Jantan, stated that the near-term market momentum will be largely influenced by investor sentiment and the regional risk premium. Malaysia's final gross domestic product (GDP) reading for the second quarter of 2025, which is anticipated to be announced on Friday, is predicted to confirm the economy's resilience with an unchanged forecast of a 4.5 percent year-on-year growth.
On the same day, China is set to release its latest retail sales figures. Expectations point to a moderation to a 4.6 percent year-on-year growth, as the marginal policy impact appears to be diminishing. These developments could recalibrate regional equity risk appetite and affect commodity-linked trade flows into ASEAN markets.
Mohd Sedek also highlighted the focus on the United States semiconductor tariff announcement, as sectors sensitive to tariffs could face episodic volatility. He noted that the global macroeconomic narrative is currently centered on impending US Federal Reserve rate cuts, which might have a stronger impact on cross-asset flows, potentially overshadowing trade-related concerns. Positive domestic macroeconomic data and strong US corporate earnings are expected to further support the index.
Meanwhile, Thong Pak Leng, vice-president of equity research at Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd, noted that investors are closely monitoring US-China trade relations. Reports suggest that talks might resume amidst increasing tariff impacts and geopolitical uncertainties, both of which are shaping global market trends.
On a weekly basis, the benchmark index climbed 23.63 points, closing at 1,556.98 on Friday, up from 1,533.35 the previous week. The FBM Emas Index rose by 76.46 points to 11,601.79, the FBMT 100 Index increased by 94.28 points to 11,379.91, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index grew by 93.42 points to 11,634.18. Conversely, the FBM 70 Index saw a decline of 208.34 points to 16,505.53, while the FBM ACE Index dropped 17.49 points to 4,606.88.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged by 100.62 points to 17,580.82, the Plantation Index gained 55.15 points to 7,426.12, whereas the Energy Index fell by 12.88 points to 736.72. Weekly turnover decreased to 12.65 billion units valued at RM11.65 billion from 15.94 billion units worth RM11.88 billion in the prior week. The Main Market volume contracted to 7.66 billion units valued at RM10.61 billion, compared to 8.33 billion units worth RM10.46 billion previously. Warrants turnover declined to 3.62 billion units valued at RM508.07 million from 5.50 billion units valued at RM859.03 million in the preceding week. The ACE Market volume also saw a decrease to 1.37 billion units valued at RM529.84 million, down from 2.10 billion units valued at RM561.51 million a week ago.