BELOW are excerpts of viewpoints from two selected research houses on what investors can expect in the day ahead:
Berjaya Research
The FBM KLCI took a step back on Thursday in line with the mostly negative performances across regional markets after Iran rules out direct ceasefire talks.
Trading activity, however, edged slightly higher to 3.01 billion shares against 2.91 billion shares in the prior session despite the negative market sentiment.
Market breadth also turned negative with 572 decliners overtaking 483 advancers as selling activities resume.
Looking ahead, the FBM KLCI could trade in a cautious tone as escalating Middle East tensions, particularly following Iran’s rejection of direct ceasefire talks, will continue to cloud global risk sentiment and weigh on investor appetite.
Should geopolitical developments deteriorate further, a broader risk-off wave could exert additional downside pressure on regional markets, including Bursa Malaysia.
On the domestic front, investors should monitor Malaysia’s upcoming Producer Price Index (PPI) data closely as any upside surprise could signal building cost pressures within the supply chain.
Despite the FBM KLCI gapping up at the opening bell, quick profit taking sent the key index to reverse all its intraday gains to close lower.
For now, the immediate resistance remains located at 1,720 points, followed by 1,737 points. Meanwhile, the 1,708 level serves as the near-term support, followed by the 1,700 psychological level.
Malacca Securities Research
In view of the negative sentiment on Wall Street, we expect the local bourse to follow suit.
Meanwhile, we remain optimistic about MN Holdings Bhd following its two recent contract wins valued at a combined RM245.4 mil to construct cable landing station (CLS) facilities for two separate data centres.
This brings the group’s total order book to a record RM1.3 bil, representing 2.4x its FY2025 revenue.
We anticipate stronger billings for MNHLDG moving forward, underpinned by the data centre boom and Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s grid upgrades.
Finally, given the rise in the Plantation Index, traders may continue to seek opportunities in SD Guthrie Bhd and TSH Resources Bhd amid rising CPO (crude palm oil) prices as we believe it has high correlation with the Brent oil price.
The FBM KLCI closed on a weaker footing with technical indicators suggesting mixed signals at the current juncture as the MACD histogram expanded into the positive region while the RSI closed below 50.
Resistance is seen around 1,725-1,730 with support at 1,690-1,695. – March 27, 2026
