BELOW are excerpts of viewpoints from two selected research houses on what investors can expect in the day ahead:
Berjaya Research
The FBM KLCI retreated on Thursday after surrendering most of its gains from the previous session amid renewed concerns over escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Trading activity climbed slightly higher to 3.59 billion shares from 3.55 billion shares in the prior session despite a more cautious market stance.
Market breadth turned negative with 737 decliners outpacing 468 advancers, highlighting the weak underlying sentiment across the broader market.
Looking ahead, the FBM KLCI may exhibit a slight negative bias in the near term, particularly after failing to sustain its position above the 1,700 psychological level amid unabated concerns over the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
Investor sentiment is likely to remain fragile with market participants closely monitoring the upcoming US jobs data later tonight for further cues on the global economic outlook which could influence near-term market direction.
Technically, the FBM KLCI has formed a bearish candlestick and subsequently slipped below the 1,700 psychological level.
Downside risks remain prevalent with 1,683 points serving as the immediate support, followed by 1,675 points. On the flipside, the near-term resistances are located at 1,711 points and 1,720 points respectively.
Malacca Securities Research
In view of Wall Street’s mixed overnight performance, we expect the local market to follow suit.
We view LAC Med Bhd’s shift towards an asset-ownership model favourably as it creates a conducive environment for both LACMED and its clients.
For perspective, this should provide greater working capital flexibility for clients by allowing them to focus on their core operations.
Higher crude oil prices may present near-term headwinds for glove manufacturers, particularly given the tightening global glove supply arising from raw material constraints following tensions in the Middle East.
The global leadership’s response to this energy crisis could provide a boost to renewable energy or energy-efficient solution providers.
The FBM KLCI closed on a stronger note, with technical indicators turning more positive at this current juncture, the MACD histogram has formed a rounding bottom while the RSI is rebounding towards 50.
Resistance is seen around 1,725-1,730 with support at 1,675-1,680. – April 3, 2026
