Bursa Malaysia Dips as Investors Brace for 2025 Uncertainty

Bursa Malaysia saw a slight dip on the final trading day of the year as investors engaged in profit-taking, reflecting the cautious sentiment that permeated regional markets. The benchmark FBM KLCI dropped 3.4 points to close the morning session at 1,634.28. Across the broader market, decliners significantly outnumbered gainers, with 505 counters in the red compared to 332 gainers.

Subdued Trading Amid Festive Season

Market activity was notably subdued, a typical trend during the year-end holiday season. Turnover remained low, with 1.33 billion shares traded, valued at RM822.07 million.

Blue-Chip Counters See Profit-Taking

Among the blue-chip stocks, several counters faced notable declines:

• Tenaga Nasional slipped by six sen to RM14.78.
• Telekom Malaysia fell 11 sen to RM6.69.
• Maybank eased four sen to RM10.20.

Gamudas Gains Lose Momentum

Gamuda, which initially saw gains following the announcement of its RM424.4 million acquisition of land in Port Dickson, failed to sustain its upward momentum. The counter closed four sen lower at RM4.74.

Activity in Smaller Counters

In the active counters, mixed performance was observed:

• MUI Properties dropped six sen to 37.5 sen.
• Velocity edged up by 0.5 sen to 4.5 sen.
• Harvest Miracle added 1.5 sen, ending at 15.5 sen.

Regional Markets Reflect Caution

Across Asia, markets remained subdued as investors adopted a cautious approach amid uncertainties surrounding the incoming U.S. administration and its potential impact on global markets.

• Japans Nikkei 225 fell 0.96%, closing at 39,894.
• Chinas Composite Index slipped 0.59% to 3,387.
• Singapores Straits Times dipped 0.21% to 3,787.
• Hong Kongs Hang Seng, however, managed a modest gain of 0.1%, settling at 20,059.

As 2023 gives way to 2024, market participants remain vigilant, keeping an eye on potential risks and opportunities in the new year. The cautious sentiment observed in year-end trading underscores the uncertainty that lies ahead, but also the potential for growth and recovery as markets adapt to evolving conditions.