Kuala lumpur: The Kuala Lumpur rubber market ended higher on Wednesday, supported by firmer crude oil prices, a dealer said. He noted that oil prices increased as fading hopes for a United States-Iran peace deal heightened concerns over potential supply disruptions in West Asia. At the time of writing, Brent crude jumped by 0.69 percent to US$89.52 per barrel. Positive US economic data also bolstered market sentiment.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, US small-business optimism rose 2.4 points to 99.8 in July, reaching an 11-month high. This development signaled improved economic confidence, further supporting the rubber market. However, weak domestic Chinese car sales limited the gains. China's domestic car sales fell 21.1 percent in July, marking a tenth consecutive monthly decline, while vehicle exports surged 88.2 percent year-on-year.

At 3 pm, the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) increased by 7.50 sen to 917.50 sen per kilogram, while latex in bulk remained unchanged at 692.5 sen per kg.