Bursa Malaysia ends lower as caution grips bourse before Fed meeting
The FBM KLCI fell 0.61 point, or 0.04%, to 1,712.48 as Bursa Malaysia closed marginally lower yesterday.
Source: The Star · KLSE Screener · Malay Mail · July 29, 2026 at 12:04 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceMALAYSIA, 29 JULY 2026 —
The FBM KLCI fell 0.61 point, or 0.04%, to 1,712.48 as Bursa Malaysia closed marginally lower yesterday.
Market Impact
According to Bernama, the decline came as investors adopted a wait-and-see stance ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting this week and the release of quarterly earnings from major US technology companies. The benchmark index slipped from Monday’s close of 1,713.09 and opened 1.14 points weaker at 1,711.95. During the session, the FBM KLCI traded in a range of 1,703.83 to 1,715.02.
Decliners outnumbered gainers 717 to 348, with 536 counters unchanged, 1,179 untraded and 36 suspended.
Turnover rose to 2.94 billion shares worth RM2.56 billion from 2.86 billion shares valued at RM2.24 billion on Monday.
IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said trading was subdued as investors sought greater clarity on the Fed’s interest-rate path and whether second-quarter earnings from the US tech sector could sustain the global rally driven by artificial intelligence investments.
“Despite Brent crude oil prices falling more than 2%, easing geopolitical concerns and improving supply expectations, it failed to lift market sentiment as investors preferred to remain on the sidelines,” he told Bernama.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said regional markets were weaker as investors reassessed the outlook for AI investments.
“Concerns intensified after reports that Nvidia’s AI financing commitments had exceeded US$750 billion, raising questions over whether AI demand can keep pace with the industry’s aggressive spending plans,” he said.
“The news triggered a broad sell-off in global semiconductor stocks, weighing on overall market sentiment across the region.”
Among heavyweights, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd fell four sen to RM7.76, while Public Bank Bhd rose one sen to RM5.19. Tenaga Nasional Bhd gained 20 sen to RM14.66, and Malayan Banking Bhd and IHH Healthcare Bhd were unchanged at RM10.90 and RM8.34, respectively.
On the broader board, VS Industry Bhd slipped one sen to 22 sen, SNS Network Technology Bhd and Dagang Nexchange Bhd each lost two sen to 54 sen and 43 sen, while Zetrix AI Bhd edged up half a sen to 69 sen.
Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd led the gainers, rising RM2.36 to RM93.66. Ideal Capital Bhd jumped 25 sen to RM4, Hong Leong Bank Bhd climbed 20 sen to RM22.30 and Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd added 18 sen to RM32.
Related: Bursa Malaysia · Malaysia