
Blue chips creep higher as investor stay cautious over Middle East ceasefire
Following a mixed performance on Wall Street, the FBM KLCI rose 0.45 points to 1,520.24, a marginal increase that remained capped by the overhead 50-day moving average.
Rakuten Trade said the recent rally on the FBM KLCI could be owing to stock accumulation by local institutions, while it as observed some trickling in of foreign funds.
"Nonetheless, we prefer to stay cautious as developments in the middle east remained fluid hence expect the index to trend within the 1,515-1,525 range today," it said in its review.
From a technical standpoint, Malacca Securities Research said the FBM KLCI formed a bullish engulfing candle on Monday, which has led to buying interest in the blue chips.
It said the local bourse is currently trading at a price-earnings multiple of 14X against a five-year average of 16.5X.
"Despite the positive closing, the key index is still trading below EMA60, with technical indicators showing bullish signals; MACD histogram is expanded above zero, while the RSI is trading above 50.
"Resistance is anticipated around 1,534–1,539, while support is located at 1,499–1,504," it said in its outlook.
On the broader market, the most active stocks were SNS Network down two sen to 54 sen, Reservoir Link dropping two sen to 20.5 sen and Solution up one sen to 11 sen.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
FBM KLCI inches up as US tariff threats spur safe-haven demand
KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI ended slightly higher on Monday as renewed U.S. tariff threats kept investors cautious, driving demand for safe-haven assets like gold, which touched a three-week high. The benchmark index settled 1.44 points or 0.09% higher at 1,537.51, after moving between an intraday high of 1,538.33 and a low of 1,533.93. In the wider market, losers outnumbered gainers 514 to 432, with 2.93 billion shares worth RM1.7bil changing hands. Dealers expect market sentiment to remain cautious following US President Donald Trump's tariff move on Mexico and the EU, which reignites trade tensions and unsettles equities. Investors are likely to stay on the sidelines amid lingering uncertainty and risk-off sentiment, they said. Among the gainers on Bursa Malaysia, F&N rose 38 sen to RM28.98, Hong Leong Bank gained 38 sen to RM19.56, Apollo Food added 17 sen to RM6.40 and Kotra Industries climbed 12 sen to RM4.23. Nestle slid 64 sen to RM76.74, Kuala Lumpur Kepong fell 28 sen to RM20.39, Malaysian Pacific Industries lost 22 sen to RM20.78 and Dutch Lady eased 20 sen to RM28.28. Reuters reported that gold hit a three-week high on Monday as safe-haven demand rose after Trump threatened 30% tariffs on EU and Mexican imports. Spot gold edged up 0.1% to $3,359.69, while U.S. futures gained 0.3% to $3,373.30. On the forex market, the ringgit weakened 0.12% against the US dollar to 4.2552, and slipped 0.04% against the Singapore dollar to 3.3219. Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.1%. Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 0.28% lower at 39,459.62, while South Korea's Kospi gained 0.83% to end at 3,202.03. China's blue-chip CSI300 index finished up 0.07% at 4,017.67, while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.27% to 3,519.65. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed up 0.26% at 24,203.32, and Singapore's Straits Times Index rose 0.18% to 3,312.45.


BusinessToday
7 hours ago
- BusinessToday
HLIB Picks Gamuda, IJM As Benefactors From A Sector Robust In 2H
Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) is maintaining its OVERWEIGHT call on the construction sector, citing a promising second half anchored by data centres (DCs), infrastructure rollouts and continued private sector demand. Gamuda and IJM remain the research house's top picks with BUY ratings and target prices of RM5.50 and RM2.96, respectively, supported by robust balance sheets and strong orderbook prospects. The KLCON Index managed to outperform the broader FBM KLCI by 3.6% in a volatile first half, despite multiple negative events. The sector saw a sharp recovery of 29% from April lows, attributed to rescinded GPU restrictions, reaffirmed capex from Big Tech, healthy contract flows and solid 1Q earnings. Gamuda and Sunway Construction delivered 1H gains of 1.1% and 29.6% respectively, outperforming the broader sector. Year-to-date (YTD), total contract awards reached RM28.9 billion, representing a 39.5% year-on-year growth. Notable contracts include the RM8.3 billion Penang LRT Segment 1 to the SRS Consortium (60% Gamuda), RM2.94 billion KSSC redevelopment to MRCB and the RM2.47 billion variation order for LRT3, also to MRCB. However, DC-related contracts in 1H fell 31% year-on-year to RM3.3 billion, which HLIB attributes to timing factors as several large-scale hyperscale tenders were only recently called. Looking into 2H25, HLIB expects a surge in DC awards, including five multibillion-ringgit tenders from a US-based hyperscaler. Larger contractors such as Gamuda, IJM and SunCon are anticipated to benefit most, leveraging their financial strength, execution track records and integrated value chain offerings. The firm remains cautious on potential AI chip export restrictions affecting Malaysia but believes such risks are partially mitigated by the sector's dependency on Western hyperscalers, with exemptions likely to be granted. On the impact of the reimposed 6% SST on construction, HLIB notes that most non-residential projects are protected by contract clauses that allow for cost pass-throughs. Government and residential projects remain exempt, narrowing the range of exposure. For DC projects specifically, the firm believes the impact will be muted due to contract structures like FIDIC and sustained demand despite cost pressures. SunCon's target price has been revised upward to RM6.70 (from RM5.93), following higher replenishment assumptions in FY25–27. HLIB now expects FY25 contract wins to hit RM7.3 billion, factoring in SunCon's growing edge in hyperscale DC execution, including ahead-of-schedule completions for projects like K2 and Yellowwood. Despite possible sector headwinds from the AI chip issue, slower property markets and subsidy rationalisation, HLIB sees room for further rerating, with forward valuations still attractive at 19.1x P/E and 1.3x P/B. Related


The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Westports could make it into FBM KLCI at next review: CIMB Securities
KUALA LUMPUR: Westports Holdings Bhd could replace Sime Darby Bhd in the upcoming review of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) as its market capitalisation (market cap) ranking has risen to 24th among eligible securities, surpassing the eligibility threshold of the 25th largest. The next FBM KLCI review outcome announcement is scheduled for Dec 4, and will be based on closing share prices on Nov 24. Any changes to index constituents will take effect on Dec 22. CIMB Securities noted that based on closing market data as of July 10, Westports has risen to 24th position in market cap among eligible Main Market securities. 'The company could potentially be added to the KLCI in the next review, provided it retains a ranking of 25th or higher among eligible securities as of Nov 24, the cut-off date. 'Currently, the market cap gap between Westports and Nestlé Malaysia (the 26th-ranked eligible security) stands at 6.3%. If Westports is added, we believe Sime Darby, which currently has the lowest market cap among existing KLCI constituents, could be removed to make room,' it said in a research note today. CIMB Securities noted that in addition to meeting the market cap requirement, securities must have a free float of at least 15% and pass a liquidity screening test to qualify for inclusion in the FBM KLCI. Port operator MMC Port Holdings Bhd has reportedly moved closer to what could be Malaysia's largest initial public offering in 13 years, following the submission of a draft prospectus to the Securities Commission, as published on the regulator's website. According to the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Index Series Ground Rules, a newly listed company may qualify for inclusion in the FBM KLCI if its full market cap is at least 2% of the total market cap of the FBM Emas Index, based on the closing price on its first trading day. 'If this condition is met, the stock will be added to the KLCI at the close of its fifth trading day. As of Jul 10 2025, the FBM Emas Index market cap stands at RM1,626.6 billion, implying that an IPO with a market cap of at least RM32.53 billion would meet the fast-entry threshold,' said CIMB Securities. It added that potential changes in the FBM KLCI could spur increased interest in stocks likely to be included, driven by passive fund inflows, while stocks at risk of exclusion may face selling pressure. The FTSE and Bursa Malaysia are scheduled to release the preliminary results of the FBM KLCI review on Dec 3, via a technical notice, one day ahead of the official announcement on Dec 4. Since the last review, YTL Corporation Bhd, YTL Power International Bhd and Axiata Group Bhd have recorded the largest increases in market cap among FBM KLCI constituents. Conversely, Sime Darby, PPB Group Bhd and RHB Bank Bhd have registered the most significant declines. As of June 30, the financial services sector accounted for the largest weighting in the FBM KLCI at 41.1%, followed by the utilities sector at 17.6% and the telecommunications sector at 9.8%. – Bernama