Bursa Malaysia slips 2.08 points as oil and yen jolt markets
The FBM KLCI fell 2.08 points to 1,722.83 at midday after Brent crude futures slumped 7.5% and the yen soared following the US and Japan’s joint intervention to stem the yen’s decline.
Source: The Star · August 3, 2026 at 7:56 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceKUALA LUMPUR, 3 AUGUST 2026 —
KUALA LUMPUR — The FBM KLCI slipped 2.08 points to 1,722.83 at midday on Monday as global oil prices plunged and the yen surged following a joint US-Japan intervention to stabilize the Japanese currency.
The benchmark index tracked regional peers lower, with losses led by oil and commodity-linked stocks after Brent crude futures dropped 7.5% to US$83.39 per barrel. The decline followed US President Donald Trump’s decision to call off a planned strike on Iran, easing immediate supply disruption risks but triggering a sharp selloff in energy markets.
Among heavyweights, PETRONAS Chemicals fell 15 sen to RM4.63, while PETRONAS Gas declined eight sen to RM17.46. Press Metal also dropped eight sen to RM7.88. In contrast, Nestlé surged RM1.80 to RM102.90, extending gains after last week’s earnings announcement.
Market breadth remained weak, with 524 decliners against 413 gainers, and trading volume at 1.56 billion shares worth RM1.1 billion. The technology sector edged up 0.54%, supported by Wall Street’s tech rally following strong earnings from Microsoft and Amazon. Financial services and consumer services also posted modest gains of 0.23% and 0.17%, respectively.
However, healthcare fell 0.37%, construction dipped 0.24%, and energy slipped 0.1%. Among active stocks, Hubline dropped half a sen to three sen, Tanco rose one sen to 27 sen, and Zetrix AI fell 1.5 sen to 73 sen.
Regional markets were broadly weaker, with South Korea’s Kospi down 4.6% to 6,291, Japan’s Nikkei down 0.88% to 63,798, and China’s Shanghai Composite down 0.59% to 3,809. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was little changed at 25,895.
The intervention in the yen market underscores growing concerns over currency volatility and its spillover effects on global equities. Analysts suggest the move may temporarily curb yen weakness but could introduce further uncertainty in risk assets.
Related: Bursa Malaysia · Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Impact
The decline in oil prices may have a mixed impact on the Malaysian market, with some sectors benefiting from lower energy costs, while the surge in the yen may affect Malaysian exporters.