FBM KLCI edges up 0.83 points on late buying despite regional slump

MALAYSIA, 4 AUGUST 2026 —

The FBM KLCI gained 0.83 points to settle at 1,725.73 on Monday as selective late buying in heavyweight stocks offset broad weakness across regional markets.

The index swung between an intraday high of 1,729.72 and low of 1,719.47. Decliners outnumbered advancers 609 to 490, while turnover reached 2.73 billion shares worth RM2.34 billion.

A dealer said late buying in selected blue-chip counters lifted the benchmark despite cautious sentiment driven by softer Asian bourses and ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Heavyweight F&N led the declines, sliding 40 sen to RM27.50. Frontken fell 19 sen to RM5.02, PETRONAS Chemicals dropped 17 sen to RM4.61, and SAM Engineering lost 17 sen to RM4.38.

Nestlé led the gainers, rising RM1.60 to RM102.70, followed by United Plantations, up 48 sen to RM34.20, Hong Leong Industries, up 28 sen to RM18, and AmBank, up 27 sen.

The ringgit weakened 0.23% against the US dollar to 4.0950 and slipped 0.3% versus the Singapore dollar to 3.1936.

Oil prices tumbled more than US$4 a barrel after US President Donald Trump postponed military action against Iran and sought a diplomatic solution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell US$3.71, or 4.22%, to US$84.22 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate dropped US$4.46, or 5.27%, to US$80.21.

Regionally, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan index fell 1.29% as most Asian markets closed lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.94% to 63,754.90, South Korea’s Kospi tumbled 5.12% to 6,257.45, China’s CSI300 declined 0.98% to 4,543.18 and the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.59% to 3,809.66.

Related: Nestlé · Bursa Malaysia · Donald Trump · Malaysia