Kuala lumpur: The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is projected to experience an uptrend in the forthcoming week, aligning with movements in the underlying cash market.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd's vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, foresees the FBM KLCI fluctuating between 1,600 and 1,630 points as investors look for new catalysts to guide market direction.

Thong Pak Leng highlighted that the strong support level at 1,600, combined with the lack of significant market drivers, is expected to result in range-bound trading. This trading pattern should enable the market to consolidate and strengthen its base, preparing it for potential upward movements. He further mentioned that a sustained rise above 1,630, accompanied by improved market breadth, would signal renewed momentum toward the 1,650 mark.

In comparison to the previous Thursday, the December 2025 and June 2026 contracts each decreased by 3.5 points, settling at 1,620 and 1,610, respectively. The newly introduced January 2026 contract was at 1,624, while the March 2026 contract declined by 2.0 points to 1,606. The week's turnover saw a decline to 39,562 lots from the previous 184,536 lots, and open interest reduced to 43,890 contracts from 75,903 contracts.

On the cash market front, the FBM KLCI observed a rise of 12.05 points on a Thursday-to-Friday basis, increasing from last week's 1,604.47 to 1,616.52.