Benchmark index falls 0.35 percent as profit-taking offsets recent buying momentum.
Bursa Malaysia opened lower on September 23 as investors took profits in selected heavyweight stocks, amid ongoing US-Iran talks and mixed trends on Wall Street.
FBM KLCI Falls Below Previous Close
At 9:10 a.m. on September 23, the benchmark FBM KLCI was down 5.98 points, or 0.35 percent, at 1,677.52, compared with the previous session’s close of 1,683.50. The index had opened 1.31 points lower at 1,682.19 as investors took profits in selected heavyweight counters following recent gains.
Market Breadth Remains Nearly Balanced
Declining stocks narrowly outnumbered gainers 186 to 174, while 306 counters were unchanged, 2,205 were untraded and 27 suspended. Early turnover reached 227.52 million shares worth RM119.54 million, reflecting a relatively balanced market despite the weaker benchmark index.
US-Iran Talks Influence Market Sentiment
Trading also reflected developments surrounding ongoing US-Iran talks. Rakuten Trade vice-president of Equity Research Thong Pak Leng said continued progress in the discussions had weighed on crude oil prices, providing some relief to market sentiment. Brent crude was down 0.08 percent at US$99.17 per barrel at the time of reporting.
Heavyweight Stocks Record Mixed Performance
Among major stocks, Maybank gained 10 sen to RM10.22, while Tenaga Nasional added six sen to RM13.16. CIMB declined eight sen to RM7.82, while Public Bank and IHH Healthcare each slipped one sen to RM4.83 and RM7.99 respectively. KESM Industries, MISC and Petronas Gas were among the notable gainers, while United Plantations and Hengyuan Refining were among the declining counters.
Analyst Sees Continued Buying Interest
Thong said broad-based bargain-hunting had helped the FBM KLCI rebound above the 1,680 level despite the Bank of Japan’s 25-basis-point interest rate increase. Rakuten Trade expected buying interest to continue, supported by Brent crude oil prices trending at around US$98 per barrel, and projected the benchmark index to trade within the 1,680 to 1,700 range during the session. The energy, financial services, plantation, and industrial products and services indices declined in early trade.
Bursa Malaysia’s weaker opening reflected profit-taking after recent gains, while investors continued monitoring crude oil prices and US-Iran developments. For Malaysian investors, the focus remained on whether bargain-hunting could sustain the benchmark’s recent recovery. For Indonesian and Singaporean market watchers, the session provides a snapshot of sentiment in one of Southeast Asia’s major equity markets.
Sources: Malay Mail (2026) , BERNAMA (2026)
Keywords: Bursa Malaysia September 2026, FBM KLCI, Malaysia Stock Market, Malaysian Equities, Brent Crude Oil, US Iran Talks
