FOREIGN investors returned to net buying with a modest RM11.1 mil in inflow during the July 27-31 trading week after the previous week’s net selling which amounted to -RM134.3 mil in outflow.
They were net buyers on three out of five trading days during the week with the largest inflow recorded on Friday (July 31) (RM131.5 mil), followed by Thursday (July 30) (RM76.2 mil) and Monday (July 27) (RM200,000), according to MBSB Research (formerly MIDF Research).
“Meanwhile, the largest daily net selling was recorded on Tuesday (July 28) with an outflow of -RM167.8 mil and Wednesday (July 29) (-RM29.0 mil),” observed the research house in its weekly fund flow report.
The top three sectors that recorded net inflows from foreign institutions were financial services (RM216.5 mil), healthcare (RM148.0 mil) and transportation & logistics (RM107.4 mil).
The three largest sectors with net outflows were industrial products & services (-RM191.7 mil), technology (-RM164.0 mil) and plantation (-RM32.8 mil).
Similarly, local institutions returned to net buying after a three-week streak of net selling with RM48.1 mil in net inflows.
However, retailers reverted to selling after the previous week’s net buying with net outflow of -RM59.1 mil.
The average daily trading volume (ADTV) saw a broad-based increase with local institutions up by +3.6% and foreign institutions by +29.9% although retailers were down by -5.6%.
In comparison with another four Southeast Asian markets tracked by MBSB Research, foreign investors reverted to net buying in Indonesia after the previous week’s outflow with US$392.9 mil in net foreign inflows.
This came about despite Jakarta continued to face labour market challenges with 32,389 layoffs recorded in 1H CY2026, thus prompting the government to acknowledge that job losses remain difficult to avoid amid global economic headwinds.
In Thailand, foreign investors extended their buying streak to a fifth week with US$3.5 mil in net foreign inflows.
This also came about amid the country’s retail sales having remained weak in May 2026 with a 14.5% year-on-year (yoy) decline although the pace of contraction improved from April 2026’s -20.0%, suggesting consumer spending remained soft but showed tentative signs of stabilisation
Likewise, foreign investors in the Philippines reverted to net buying after the previous week’s outflow with US$2.9 mil in net inflow but Vietnam succumbed to 20 successive weeks of net selling with -US$92.6 mil in outflow.
The top three stocks with the highest net money inflow from foreign investors last week were Public Bank Bhd (RM178.8 mil), IHH Healthcare Bhd (RM118.1 mil) and Westports Holdings Bhd (RM88.7 mil). – Aug 3, 2026
