KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Bursa Malaysia ended on a softer note, with the benchmarik index extending its decline to a fourth consecutive day, and falling by nearly 2.0 per cent cumulatively over the period, as investors adopted a defensive stance amid escalating geopolitical conflict in West Asia.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 3.97 points to 1,676.86  from Monday’s close of 1,680.83.

The benchmark index opened 3.22 points higher at 1,684.05 and moved between 1,673.14 and 1,687.60 throughout the day.

In the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 538 to 343, while 632 counters were unchanged, 1,134 untraded and 11 suspended.

Turnover shrank to 2.55 billion units worth RM2.58 billion from Monday’s 2.86 billion units worth RM2.72 billion.    

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, said cautious sentiment persisted on the domestic front, with investors maintaining a defensive stance and refraining from building fresh positions amid the uncertain external backdrop.

He added that the lack of strong foreign inflows continued to cap upside momentum, leaving the benchmark index vulnerable to further downside.

“We expect markets to stay volatile in the short term as investors monitor the West Asia conflict and oil prices. Without clear positive news, the FBM KLCI may remain range-bound between 1,660 and 1,700 for the rest of the week, with potential downside risks,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said market sentiment turned increasingly cautious as participants entered a “countdown mode” ahead of a critical deadline set by US President Donald Trump.

He added that Trump intensified threats against Iran, warning of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if no agreement is reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“This has also heightened legal and ethical concerns, with some experts cautioning that such actions could raise serious questions under international humanitarian law and place US military officers in a difficult position between operational compliance and legal obligations,” Mohd Sedek told Bernama.

Regional markets were traded mixed, as sentiment was dampened by renewed warnings from Trump over potential strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.03 per cent to 53,429.56, South Korea’s KOSPI advanced 0.82 per cent to 5,494.78, Singapore’s Straits Times Index shed 0.29 per cent to 4,958.01, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slid 0.70 per cent to 25,116.53.

Among Bursa Malaysia’s heavyweights, IHH Healthcare jumped 10 sen to RM8.69, CelcomDigi perked up five sen to RM3.06, TNB was flat at RM14, Maybank decreased six sen to RM11.16, and Public Bank slipped four sen to RM4.60.

On the most active list, Tanco rose four sen to RM1.61, Astro was flat at 7.5 sen, Reneuco eased 1.5 sen to half-a-sen, and Zetrix AI went down one sen to 74 sen.

Among the top gainers, Petronas Dagangan climbed 28 sen to RM20.96, Hong Leong Bank and Allianz garnered 26 sen each to RM21.50 and RM20.66, respectively, while Petronas Chemicals put on 13 sen to RM5.88.

As for the top losers, Nestle dipped RM1.80 to RM98.30, Fraser & Neave lost 38 sen to RM28.70, United Plantations slid 34 sen to RM33.86, and Malaysian Pacific Industries trimmed 30 sen to RM29.00.

On the index board, the FBM Top 100 Index decreased 32.03 points to 12,115.88, the FBM Emas Index erased 32.82 points to 12,261.25, the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 20.25 points to 12,144.01, the FBM ACE Index slid 15.88 points to 4,284.58, and the FBM Mid 70 Index dipped 59.24 points to 16,949.24.

By sector, the Financial Services Index sank 80.94 points to 19,586.12, the Plantation Index slipped 22 points to 9,095.66, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up .010 of-a-point to 183.05, and the Energy Index eased 0.18 of-a-point to 811.38.

The Main Market volume dropped to 1.79 billion units valued at RM2.44 billion from Monday’s 1.88 billion units valued at RM2.56 billion.

Warrants turnover fell to 526.26 million units worth RM53.44 million from 737.32 million units worth RM67.73 million yesterday.  

The ACE Market volume declined to 229.79 million units valued at RM84.51 million from 247.03 million units valued at RM94.07 million previously.  

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 162.73 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (338.34 million), construction (147.67 million), technology (172.83 million), financial services (60.47 million), property (118.25 million), plantation (42.23 million), real estate investment trusts (16.98 million), closed-end fund (52,000), energy (371.92 million), healthcare (246.25 million), telecommunications and media (66.98 million), transportation and logistics (26.04 million), utilities (26.16 million), and business trusts (206,500).—Bernama