KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended in red due to the absence of strong buying catalysts as global economic uncertainties and geopolitical concerns kept investors cautious.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 8.24 points or 0.51 per cent to close at 1,592.44 from Thursday's close of 1,600.68.
The benchmark index opened 0.75 point better at 1,601.43 and hit an intraday high of 1,604.51 in the early session before moving downwards throughout the rest of the trading session.
On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers 563 to 378, while 501 counters were unchanged, 1,020 untraded and 21 suspended.
Turnover slid to 2.71 billion units valued at RM2.66 billion compared to 3.14 billion units worth RM2.69 billion on Thursday.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI slipped due to the absence of strong buying triggers as global economic uncertainties and geopolitical concerns kept investors cautious.
He said strong selling in MR DIY Group (M) Bhd and MISC Bhd, along with profit-taking in plantation stocks, had dragged the index lower.
He added that the benchmark index was influenced by global economic uncertainties, concerns over US policy impacts, and sector-specific selling pressures.
"The market is anticipated to remain in a consolidation phase for next week, with investors closely monitoring both domestic and international developments that could influence market direction.
"Hence, we anticipate the FBM KLCI to trend sideways within the 1,590 to 1,610 range for next week which represents the support and resistance levels," he added.
According to Thong, regional markets were mixed, reflecting varied reactions to Wall Street's overnight decline after US jobless claims came in below expectations.
On the commodities front, he said the oil prices continued to drop weekly, weighed down by a firmer dollar and expectations of a market surplus in 2025.