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 yesterday after spending most of the session in negative territory with more than half of its key constituents ending in the red.
Trading activity moderated with total market volume easing to 3.52 billion shares from 3.70 billion shares in the previous session.
Market breadth also weakened with 703 decliners outnumbering 410 advancers, reflecting a broader pullback across the market.
Looking ahead, the FBM KLCI is likely to remain cautious in the near term as investors continue to weigh persistent uncertainty surrounding the Middle East which could keep risk appetite and market sentiment subdued.
Following yesterday’s broad-based pullback, we expect trading direction to remain choppy with investors likely to adopt a more selective approach while monitoring global developments, particularly their implications for energy prices, inflation and global risk sentiment.
On the domestic front, attention will turn to Malaysia’s 2Q 2026 GDP (gross domestic product) data later today with the advance estimate having shown the economy expanded 5.8% year-on-year (yoy) during the period, accelerating from 5.4% yoy in 1Q 2026.
Technically, the key index has formed a bearish candlestick to extend its consolidation mode. The immediate resistances remain envisaged at 1,750 points, followed by 1,757 points. Meanwhile, near-term supports are pegged at 1,725 points and 1,711 points respectively.
Malacca Securities Research
The local bourse is expected to trade on a firmer footing by attempting a rebound, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street alongside improving global risk sentiment.
Sectoral buying interest is set to reignite across technology heavyweights Inari Amertron Bhd, Frontken Corp Bhd and NationGate Holdings Bhd, supported by accelerating global AI (artificial intelligence) capital expenditure and a steady semiconductor recovery.
Besides, momentum is expected to spill over to Coraza Integrated Technology Bhd, underpinned by rising demand for precision engineering and sheet metal fabrication in the semiconductor equipment space as well as an improving technical setup following recent accumulation.
Despite slight pullback, the FBM KLCI continued to hold comfortably above its 10-day SMA. Indicators remain mixed as the MACD histogram continues to decline into the negative territory while the RSI stays elevated above the 50 level.
Key resistance is pegged at 1,749-1,764 with support expected around 1,719-1,704. – Aug 14, 2026
