Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia is anticipated to trade within a narrow range of 1,710 to 1,740 points next week, as per Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd's vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng. The index is projected to experience a phase of sideways consolidation, influenced by the market's digestion of the recent corporate earnings season and global tech sector volatility.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Thong highlighted the significance of the upcoming Bank Negara Malaysia Monetary Policy Committee meeting on March 5 as a critical domestic factor. However, the Overnight Policy Rate is largely expected to remain at 2.75 percent. This sentiment was echoed by IPPFA Sdn Bhd's director of investment strategy and country economist, Mohd Sedek Jantan, who noted that market volatility is likely to moderate as Malaysia's fourth-quarter 2025 corporate earnings season reaches its conclusion, thereby reducing earnings-driven price fluctuations.
Jantan further explained that as earnings visibility improves and downside risks are better assessed, sector momentum is expected to stabilise. This creates opportunities for selective bargain hunting, especially among large-cap banks. The stabilisation within the financial sector, given its substantial influence on the broader market, could serve as a key anchor for overall market sentiment in the near term.
On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the FBM KLCI fell by 36.22 points to close at 1,716.61, down from 1,752.83 a week earlier. Similarly, the FBM Top 100 Index declined by 234.07 points to 12,433.82, and the FBM Emas Index shed 235.35 points to 12,611.43. Other indices, including the FBM Mid 70, FBM Emas Shariah, and FBM ACE, also saw declines.
Sector-wise, notable decreases were observed in the Financial Services Index, which dropped 533.87 points to 21,081.80, and the Plantation Index, which fell 150.41 points to 8,269.57. Overall weekly turnover surged significantly to 13.62 billion units valued at RM18.00 billion, compared to 5.88 billion units worth RM6.53 billion in the previous week. This increase was observed across Main Market, Warrants, and ACE Market volumes.