KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Bursa Malaysia is expected to trade sideways within the 1,710-1,740 range next week, said Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng.

He said that the index is projected to undergo a period of sideways consolidation as the market digests the recent corporate earnings season and navigates global tech volatility.

“Meanwhile, the upcoming Bank Negara Malaysia Monetary Policy Committee meeting on March 5 remains the key domestic catalyst, while the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) is widely expected to stay at 2.75 per cent,” Thong told Bernama.

IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said market volatility is expected to moderate next week as Malaysia’s fourth-quarter 2025 corporate earnings season moves past its peak, reducing earnings-driven price fluctuations.

“As earnings visibility improves and downside risks become better priced in, sector momentum is likely to stabilise, creating scope for selective bargain hunting, particularly among large-cap banks.

“Given the financial sector’s substantial weight within the broader market, stabilisation at the sector level could provide an important anchor for overall market sentiment in the near term,” he said.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the FBM KLCI fell 36.22 points to 1,716.61 from 1,752.83 a week earlier.

On the index board, the FBM Top 100 Index declined 234.07 points to 12,433.82, the FBM Emas Index shed 235.35 points to 12,611.43, the FBM Mid 70 Index dropped 203.23 points to 17,542.47, the FBM Emas Shariah Index slid 150.73 points to 12,217.56, and the FBM ACE Index eased 101.87 points to 4,720.25.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index tumbled 533.87 points to 21,081.80, the Energy Index slipped 22.14 points to 753.74, the Plantation Index fell 150.41 points to 8,269.57, and the Industrial Products and Services Index retreated 7.23 points to 170.83.

Weekly turnover surged to 13.62 billion units worth RM18.00 billion from 5.88 billion units worth RM6.53 billion a week earlier.

Main Market volume rose to 8.42 billion units worth RM16.87 billion from 3.76 billion units worth RM6.09 billion previously.

Warrants turnover increased to 3.42 billion units valued at RM392.22 million from 1.38 billion units valued at RM165.97 million last week.

Meanwhile, ACE Market volume enhanced to 1.77 billion units valued at RM730.54 million from 735.33 million units valued at RM274.35 million in the prior week. — Bernama