Azimuth Global Inv

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia opened higher on Thursday, underpinned by buying in selected heavyweight stocks despite weaker overnight performance on Wall Street.

At 9.25am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 8.82 points to 1,718.81 from Tuesday’s close of 1,709.99, after opening 12.36 points firmer at 1,722.35.

Market breadth was positive, with gainers outpacing losers 313 to 289. A total of 363 counters were unchanged, 1,771 untraded and 34 suspended.

Turnover amounted to 690.97 million shares worth RM335.54 million.

The market was closed on Wednesday for the Awal Muharram public holiday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said Wall Street ended lower as sellers took control following Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh’s first meeting, with markets anticipating a potential rate hike this year.

He said buying in the domestic market was broad-based, though the focus was mainly on index-linked laggards, particularly telecommunications stocks.

“Encouraged by positive sentiment in West Asia, we expect the index to maintain its uptrend and hover within the 1,705–1,720 range today,” he added.

Among heavyweights, Maybank and Public Bank rose four sen to RM11.20 and RM5.09, respectively. Tenaga Nasional added two sen to RM14.58, CIMB was seven sen firmer at RM7.85, and IHH Healthcare gained five sen to RM8.84.

Among active stocks, Hong Seng and Zetrix AI fell half-a-sen to one sen and 79.5 sen, respectively. Tanco gained 2.5 sen to 17.5 sen, while Pentech slipped one sen to 30.5 sen and HHRG was flat at eight sen. Newly listed Sum Technology traded at 42.5 sen, up 14.5 sen from its IPO price.

Among top gainers, Hong Leong Industries rose 40 sen to RM18.88, Allianz added 38 sen to RM21.38, Dutch Lady edged up 24 sen to RM32.50 and Batu Kawan increased 20 sen to RM20.80.

Top losers included Malaysian Pacific Industries, which slipped 82 sen to RM48.48, Paragon, down 68 sen to RM1.61, Nestle, which lost 66 sen to RM96.14, and UWC, which fell 15 sen to RM6.05.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index added 45.57 points to 12,707.75, while the FBM Top 100 Index gained 49.45 points to 12,548.84 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index edged up 29.87 points to 12,504.61.

The FBM Mid 70 Index rose 7.30 points to 18,117.87, while the FBM ACE Index gained 4.51 points to 4,781.50.

By sector, the Financial Services Index surged 129.29 points to 20,414.05, the Plantation Index rose 10.59 points to 8,789.96, and the Industrial Products and Services Index added 0.40 of-a-point to 188.97, while the Energy Index declined 2.66 points to 761.97.

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit closed higher against the US dollar on Monday as risk sentiment improved on news that the US and Iran will sign a peace deal on Friday.

At 6pm, the local note rose to 4.0485/4.0525 against the greenback from Friday’s close of 4.0555/4.0600.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the looming peace agreement between the US and Iran had improved market sentiment and supported the ringgit.

“Positive developments in the Middle East, particularly the growing momentum in peace talks between the US and Iran, have boosted market sentiment, with both countries expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal on June 19.

“The deal would pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing the flow of crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and other commodities such as aluminium and urea,” he noted.

Afzanizam said the anticipation of a restoration in oil supplies had improved risk appetite among traders and investors.

“To some degree, this could lead to moderate inflation where the global central banks would not resort to further monetary tightening,” he added.

At the close, the ringgit was mostly higher against a basket of major currencies.

It appreciated against the Japanese yen to 2.5283/2.5309 from 2.5334/2.5364 at Friday’s close and strengthened versus the British pound to 5.4355/5.4409 from 5.4429/5.4489. However, it slipped against the euro to 4.6987/4.7033 from 4.6979/4.7031.

Against regional currencies, the local note was mostly lower.

It weakened against the Thai baht to 12.4294/12.4474 from 12.4105/12.4288 at Friday’s close and depreciated versus the Indonesian rupiah to 228.5/228.9 from 227.0/227.4.

The ringgit also eased against the Philippine peso to 6.69/6.70 from 6.67/6.68. However, it climbed against the Singapore dollar to 3.1580/3.1613 from 3.1602/3.1640.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended marginally higher after trading within a narrow range, supported by selective buying that offset profit-taking activities.

The mixed performance from regional equities, driven by rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, continued to weigh on investor sentiment.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was slightly higher, rising 0.57 points to 1,679.53 compared with Wednesday’s close of 1,678.96.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the benchmark index managed to close in positive territory, the firm remains cautious as external uncertainties continue to cloud the near-term market outlook.

“Persistent foreign selling, coupled with concerns over elevated energy prices and geopolitical developments, may continue to keep investors on the sidelines.

“While downside risks remain, attractive valuations in selected sectors may continue to provide support to the broader market. Overall, we expect the FBM KLCI to trend within the 1,670-1,690 range towards the weekend,” he told Bernama.

IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Sedek Jantan said that, locally, gains were supported by selective buying in petrochemical, utilities, and consumer-related counters, although profit-taking within the same sectors capped further upside.

“The market’s resilience reflects continued investor preference for defensive and domestically oriented stocks amid lingering geopolitical uncertainties and a cautious external backdrop,” he added.

The benchmark index opened 1.58 points lower at 1,677.38 and traded between 1,674.65 and 1,680.53 throughout the session.

Market breadth was broadly balanced, with gainers ahead of losers 562 to 561, while 538 counters were unchanged, 1,030 untraded and 21 suspended.

Turnover slipped to 3.32 billion units worth RM2.88 billion from 3.97 billion units worth RM2.73 billion yesterday.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank and Public Bank fell by 2 sen to RM10.66 and RM4.78, respectively. Meanwhile, Tenaga Nasional added 8 sen to RM14.30, CIMB was down 10 sen to RM7.30, and IHH Healthcare was unchanged to RM8.67.

Among active stocks, Zetrix AI lost 3.5 sen to 81 sen, ACE Market debutant MM Computer Systems gained 0.5 sen to 22.5 sen, VS Industry was 1 sen lower at 20 sen, Hong Seng was unchanged at 1 sen, and Top Glove was 2 sen higher to 83 sen.

Among the top gainers, Malaysian Pacific Industries rose by 88 sen to RM47.56, Nestle was 72 sen higher to RM94.50, Batu Kawan added 52 sen to RM20.80, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong accumulated 46 sen to RM20.94.

Among the top losers, Petronas Dagangan was 92 sen easier at RM17.72, United Plantations slipped 70 sen to RM31.60, Ideal Capital shed 60 sen to RM3.50, and Allianz Malaysia fell by 40 sen to RM20.56.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index fell by 2.88 points to 12,453.60, the FBM Top 100 Index was down 3.79 points to 12,298.43, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 27.25 points to 12,443.74.

The FBM Mid 70 Index lost 39.48 points to 17,912.41, while the FBM ACE Index gained 11.11 points to 4,671.76.

By sector, the financial services index fell by 78.75 points to 19,503.66, the industrial products and services index perked up 1.65 points to 198.48, the energy index rose by 6.09 points to 784.86, and the plantation index gained 11.61 points to 8,805.83.

The Main Market’s volume narrowed to 1.68 billion units valued at RM2.53 billion from 2.45 billion units valued at RM2.40 billion yesterday.

Warrants inched up to 1.07 billion units valued at RM172.98 million from 1.06 billion units valued at RM170.17 million previously.

ACE Market volume expanded to 562.41 million units worth RM177.14 million from 453.18 million units worth RM151.41 million.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 189.74 million shares traded on the Main Market, followed by industrial products and services (292.87 million), construction (110.58 million), technology (359.04 million), financial services (77.0 million), property (330.62 million), plantation (31.18 million), real estate investment trusts (22.57 million), closed-end funds (1,000), energy (67.14 million), healthcare (82.70 million), telecommunications and media (52.96 million), transportation and logistics (32.38 million), utilities (32.95 million), and business trusts (20,000).

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit ended lower against the US dollar today as stronger-than-expected US labour market data reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve would maintain its restrictive monetary policy stance, boosting demand for the greenback, an economist said.

At 6pm, the local currency depreciated to 4.0715/4.0760 against the US dollar from last Friday’s close of 4.0280/4.0320.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid said the ringgit eased by 1.04% against the US dollar, in tandem with most Asian currencies, which also traded lower against the greenback.

He said crude oil prices were also higher today due to the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran, which will result in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

At the time of writing, the benchmark Brent crude oil increased 3.77% to US$96.60 per barrel.

“A higher inflation rate going forward and how the global market would react to such macroeconomic conditions will be a key factor that will shape market sentiments.

“It appears that a higher benchmark interest rate seems to be the antidote for the currency, and this has led to cautious market sentiments,” he told Bernama.

Similar to its performance against the greenback, the ringgit also traded mostly lower against a basket of major currencies.

It depreciated against the British pound to 5.4249/5.4309 from 5.4233/5.4287 at the close last Friday and slid against the Japanese yen to 2.5445/2.5475 from 2.5183/2.5209 last week but turned slightly higher versus the euro at 4.6867/4.6919 from 4.6882/4.6928 previously.

The local currency also depreciated against regional peers.

It fell versus the Singapore dollar to 3.1577/3.1614 from 3.1390/3.1424 last Friday and was down against the Thai baht at 12.3942/12.4128 from 12.3433/12.3605 previously.

It was also weaker against the Philippine peso at 6.60/6.61 from 6.55/6.56 last week and eased against the Indonesian rupiah to 223.8/224.2 versus 223.3/223.6 previously.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed higher, with the benchmark index rising 0.60% as bargain-hunting persisted following the recent sell-off, despite weaker performances across regional markets.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices closed lower as profit-taking in technology stocks persisted.

“Market attention is now focused on the upcoming US nonfarm payrolls data for May, due later today, as investors seek further clues on the health of the world’s largest economy.

“Meanwhile, a slew of economic data from China next week is expected to influence regional sentiment,” he told Bernama.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 10.17 points to 1,693.43 from yesterday’s close of 1,683.26.

The benchmark index opened 3.19 points higher at 1,686.45 and traded between 1,684.36 and 1,698.53 throughout the session.

However, broader market sentiment remained negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 666 to 477.

A total of 574 counters were unchanged, 958 were untraded and 12 were suspended.

Turnover fell to 3.41 billion units worth RM3.04 billion from 3.47 billion units worth RM3.58 billion yesterday.

Regionally, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.45% to 24,961.95, Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.40% to 5,047.28, Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 1.31% to 66,588.12, and South Korea’s KOSPI Composite Index tumbled 5.54% to 8,160.59.

Among heavyweights, Maybank rose 20 sen to RM10.80, Public Bank added 9 sen to RM4.87, Tenaga Nasional and CIMB gained 4 sen each to RM14.14 and RM7.39, respectively, while IHH Healthcare advanced 6 sen to RM8.85.

Among active stocks, Hap Seng, Zetrix AI and GIIB were unchanged at 1 sen, 82.5 sen and 47 sen, respectively.

CBH Engineering gained 6 sen to 68 sen, while Pharmaniaga fell 1.5 sen to 27.5 sen.

Among the top gainers, United Plantations surged 90 sen to RM32.20, Concrete Engineering climbed 69 sen to RM3.34, Petronas Dagangan gained 46 sen to RM19.24, Hong Leong Bank advanced 34 sen to RM21.32 and Dutch Lady rose 28 sen to RM33.

Among the top losers, Nestle trimmed 84 sen to RM94.28, Malaysian Pacific Industries shed 64 sen to RM46.80, UMS Integration lost 23 sen to RM8, Kelington declined 25 sen to RM7.65 and Fraser & Neave dropped 48 sen to RM26.40.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index rose 40.54 points to 12,602.06, the FBM Top 100 Index increased 43.97 points to 12,441.90, while the FBM Emas Shariah Index shed 2.50 points to 12,570.15.

The FBM Mid 70 Index declined 66.35 points to 18,299.60, while the FBM ACE Index added 9.30 points to 4,733.24.

By sector, the financial services index jumped 238.82 points to 19,784.31, the energy index climbed 3.82 points to 796.20, the industrial products and services index inched up 0.31 of-a-point to 198.74, while the plantation index fell 27.41 points to 8,671.54.

Main Market volume narrowed to 1.78 billion units valued at RM2.67 billion from 2.11 billion units valued at RM3.29 billion yesterday.

Warrants turnover rose to 1.07 billion units valued at RM158.92 million from 933.20 million units valued at RM131.84 million previously.

ACE Market volume increased to 557.48 million units valued at RM208.90 million from 428.13 million units valued at RM162.39 million yesterday.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 236.51 million shares traded on the Main Market, followed by industrial products and services (306.21 million), construction (138.56 million), technology (481.77 million), financial services (77.83 million), property (174.38 million), plantation (41.74 million), real estate investment trusts (11.70 million), closed-end funds (12,300), energy (82.91 million), healthcare (111 million), telecommunications and media (43.88 million), transportation and logistics (28.68 million), utilities (47.09 million) and business trusts (26,200).

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia opened higher on Wednesday as investors engaged in bargain hunting following the extended market closure last week, while positive sentiment from Wall Street’s overnight gains also supported buying interest.

At 9.33 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 5.34 points, or 0.31%, to 1,688.41 from Friday’s close of 1,683.07.

The index opened 4.06 points higher at 1,687.13.

Bursa Malaysia was closed on Monday (June 1) and Tuesday (June 2) in observance of the birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the replacement holiday for Wesak Day, respectively.

Market breadth was negative, as losers outnumbered gainers 377 to 350, while 412 counters were unchanged, 1,464 were untraded, and 13 were suspended.

Turnover stood at 720.10 million shares worth RM715.34 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said Wall Street closed higher despite the ongoing uncertainty regarding the US-Iran negotiations.

Meanwhile, he said the crude oil price edged higher to US$96 per barrel, while the US 10-year yield was flat at 4.453%.

“As for the local bourse, we believe bargain-hunting activities will emerge sooner rather than later following a long break last week.

“As such, we expect the index to hover within the 1,680-1,700 range today,” he said.

Among heavyweight stocks, Public Bank rose three sen to RM4.74, while Maybank fell two sen to RM10.62, Tenaga Nasional lost six sen to RM14.22, CIMB eased one sen to RM7.47, and IHH decreased three sen to RM8.98.

Among active stocks newly listed on the ACE market listing, Bus Cap gained 9.5 sen to 32.5 sen, Nationgate Holdings advanced five sen to 93 sen and GIIB Holdings added 1.5 sen to 41.5 sen. Industronics inched down half a sen to two sen, while Zetrix was flat at 80.5 sen.

Top gainers included Nestle, which rose RM2.06 to RM93.06, Petronas Dagangan jumped 80 sen to RM18.54, Malaysian Pacific Industries added 70 sen to RM49.76, Ajinomoto improved 34 sen to RM14.20, and Malayan Cement increased 27 sen to RM6.81.

Top losers included KL Kepong, which slipped 82 sen to RM19.50, Hong Leong Industries went down 50 sen to RM18.50, Batu Kawan lost 46 sen to RM19.50, United Plantation reduced 30 sen to RM30.78 and Bursa Malaysia dropped 27 sen to RM8.53.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index advanced 18.08 points to 12,598.20, while the FBM Top 100 Index increased 21.67 points to 12,439.21, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 20.69 points to 12,624.77. The FBM Mid 70 Index declined 42.86 points to 18,441.46, and the FBM ACE Index edged down 9.25 points to 4,754.56.

By sector, the Financial Services Index rose 31.20 points to 19,555.49, while the Industrial Products and Services Index added 2.12 points to 199.94, and the Energy Index gained 3.20 points to 781.95, but the Plantation Index dropped 66.09 points to 8,433.45.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia reversed earlier gains to close marginally lower today, pressured by late selling in blue-chip stocks as investors turned cautious amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East, which continued to dampen market sentiment.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said regional markets rebounded amid growing optimism that the US and Iran could reach a peace agreement, easing concerns over potential disruptions to global energy supplies.

“Consequently, Brent crude oil prices declined to around US$92 (RM 364.55) per barrel.

“However, back home, we remain cautious as negotiations between the US and Iran have yet to yield a definitive outcome, while geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East continue to weigh on investor confidence,” he told Bernama.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 1.86 points, or 0.11%, to 1,683.07 from yesterday’s close of 1,684.93.

The benchmark index opened 3.25 points higher at 1,688.18. and moved between 1,680.59 and 1,694.65 throughout the session.

However, the broader market was positive, with gainers outpacing losers 680 to 512, while 529 counters were unchanged, 921 untraded and 51 suspended.

Turnover rose to 4.94 billion units valued at RM10.74 billion compared with 3.53 billion units valued at RM4.19 billion yesterday.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank gained 14 sen to RM10.64, Tenaga Nasional added four sen to RM14.28, and IHH Healthcare edged up two sen to RM9.01, while Public Bank fell six sen to RM4.71 and CIMB Group slipped one sen to RM7.48.

Among the active stocks, Axiata perked up two sen to RM2, YTL Corp and MR DIY were one sen higher at RM2.05 and RM1.58, respectively, QL Resources jumped 20 sen to RM3.60, and NationGate Holdings soared 12 sen to 88 sen.

Leading gainers included Hong Leong Industries, which surged 62 sen to RM19, United Plantations and Ajinomoto rose 58 sen each to RM31.08 and RM13.86, respectively, Petronas Dagangan climbed 40 sen to RM17.74, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong put on 36 sen to RM20.32.

Among the top losers, Nestle sank RM4 to RM91, Allianz Malaysia dipped 40 sen to RM21.52, Malayan Cement dropped 35 sen to RM6.54, while Hong Leong Bank and Petronas Chemicals each lost 30 sen to RM20.88 and RM5.21, respectively.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index gained 38.84 points to 12,580.12, the FBM Top 100 Index increased 37.06 points to 12,417.54, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 53.16 points to 12,604.07.

The FBM Mid 70 Index surged 270.64 points to 18,484.33 and the FBM ACE Index advanced 42.67 points to 4,763.81.

By sector, the industrial products and services index shed 0.51 of-a-point to 197.82, the financial services index fell 21.72 points to 19,524.29, the plantation index slid 5.41 points to 8,499.54, and the energy index eased 4.15 points to 778.75.

The Main Market volume expanded to 3.56 billion units valued at RM10.15 billion from 1.98 billion units valued at RM3.87 billion yesterday.

Warrants turnover slipped to 830.47 million units valued at RM105.18 million from 971.39 million units valued at RM117.2 million yesterday.

The ACE Market volume narrowed to 550.09 million units valued at RM218.76 million from 583.66 million units valued at RM206.61 million previously.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 750.34 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (502.46 million), construction (220.58 million), technology (342 million), financial services (296.28 million), property (230.92 million), plantation (61.57 million), real estate investment trusts (42.34 million), closed-end fund (65,000), energy (118.92 million), healthcare (198.96 million), telecommunications and media (403.7 million), transportation and logistics (26.58 million), utilities (362.81 million), and business trusts (32,200).

Bursa Malaysia will be closed on June 1 and 2 for the king’s birthday and Wesak Day holidays, and will resume operations on June 3.

🌙✨ Selamat Hari Raya Idul Adha ✨🌙

Semoga setiap pengorbanan
membawa kita lebih dekat kepada Allah 🤍

Dan semoga hati sentiasa tenang
dalam setiap ujian kehidupan 🕊️

Stay sincere, stay faithful 🌙

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit retreated against the US dollar today, ending a three-day winning streak as investors focused on geopolitical tensions and the increasingly hawkish stance adopted by central banks globally.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid said the ringgit was mostly in a narrow range with the US dollar today, languishing around RM3.9583 to RM3.9688.

“The ongoing negotiation between the US and Iran is still the main focus while central banks across the globe seem to be taking a more hawkish stance,” he told Bernama.

The ringgit firmed against the US dollar for the past three days as market sentiment improved on the back of Malaysia’s trade performance, which rose 28.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) to a record RM336.73 billion in April 2026.

The investment, trade and industry ministry (Miti) earlier this week reported that the higher export figures were driven mainly by strong exports of electrical and electronic (E&E) products.

Malaysia’s trade maintained strong momentum in April 2026 with exports and imports reaching record highs despite heightened global uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions in West Asia that led to higher logistics costs, supply chain disruptions and commodity price volatility.

Miti also said exports extended their growth momentum for the 10th consecutive month, surging 36.9% to a record RM182.74 billion, surpassing the previous high of RM152.77 billion recorded in December 2025 by RM30 billion, while imports rose 20% to RM153.99 billion.

At 6pm, the ringgit fell to 3.9655/3.9700 versus the greenback from 3.9595/3.9630 at yesterday’s close.

At the close, the ringgit traded mostly lower against a basket of major currencies.

It weakened versus the Japanese yen to 2.4925/2.4954 from 2.4906/2.4929 at yesterday’s close, slid against the British pound to 5.3245/5.3305 from 5.3220/5.3267 previously, but gained against the euro to 4.6012/4.6064 from 4.6037/4.6078 yesterday.

At the same time, the local currency was mixed against regional peers.

It fell against the Singapore dollar to 3.0985/3.1023 from 3.0967/3.0997 at the close yesterday, down against the Thai baht to 12.1421/12.1611 from 12.1304/12.1468 yesterday, but edged up against the Indonesian rupiah to 223.8/224.1 from 224.1/224.4 previously.

It was almost flat against the Philippine peso at 6.42/6.44 from 6.43/6.44.

KUALA LUMPUR: Genting Bhd’s net profit for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31 jumped to RM101.10 million from RM4.60 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Revenue for the quarter also rose 2% to RM6.66 billion from RM6.51 billion previously.

Genting said Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) recorded a revenue of RM1.88 billion in the current quarter.

“Steady operational progress was made in the quarter, with non-gaming revenue increasing year-on-year, supported by higher visitation to key attractions including Universal Studios Singapore and the Singapore Oceanarium at RWS,” it said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia.

As for its oil palm plantation segment, Genting said revenue was higher in the current quarter. Additionally, the previous year’s corresponding quarter featured higher profit realised on brought-forward inventory.

“The downstream manufacturing segment recorded higher revenue, and the power division’s revenue increased, primarily attributable to higher generation from the Banten Plant in Indonesia in the current quarter due to no outage, unlike the previous year’s corresponding quarter, which was impacted by an unplanned outage,” it said.

The company said the group’s performance for the remaining period of the 2026 financial year might be impacted as global growth momentum is expected to soften amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and broader macroeconomic uncertainties, despite certain economies, such as the US, having demonstrated resilience to date.

“In Malaysia, the outlook is expected to remain cautious, as growth may moderate due to inflationary pressures, geopolitical uncertainties and external headwinds weighing on the broader domestic economy.

“Cross-border tourism demand is expected to face challenges due to weaker outbound travel trends and higher travel-related costs,” it added.