BELOW are excerpts of viewpoints from two selected research houses on what investors can expect in the day ahead:
Berjaya Research
Despite opening lower at the start of the trading session, the FBM KLCI swiftly rebounded into the positive territory before extending its gains on Monday.
While signs of year-end window-dressing activity were evident among index heavyweights, the broader market failed to mirror the upbeat tone as many lower liners retreated.
This divergence was reflected in the negative market breadth with 641 decliners outpacing 402 advancers.
Looking ahead, the FBM KLCI is expected to maintain a mild upward bias over the near term, underpinned by lingering year-end window-dressing flows, firmer external cues and selective buying interest in blue-chip counters.
With sentiment gradually improving, the local bourse has now recouped its year-to-date losses although further gains may remain measured as investors stay selective and mindful of near-term macro and policy developments.
Economy-wise, investors will be keeping a close tab on the US labour data as well as retail sales numbers later tonight.
Technically, the key index has formed a three white soldiers candlestick pattern to breakout above the 1,638 resistance. Should the breakout remain sustainable, further upsides could lift the key index towards the next resistance at 1,650 points, followed by 1,658 points. Meanwhile, the supports are pegged at the 1,620-1,611 levels.
Malacca Securities Research
We conclude that the FBM KLCI’s recent quarterly earnings were rather neutral as results were mostly within consensus estimates.
Moreover, Wall Street’s overnight performance may limit the upside potential over the near term on the local bourse.
Nevertheless, we continue to favour LAC Med Bhd’s shift towards an asset-ownership model which enables its customers to allocate cash more efficiently while providing the company with stable recurring revenue.
Based on UMediC Group Bhd’s trailing P/E of 14.8-16.3x, we believe LAC Med should be trading at 95 sen at least.
Besides, we believe Well Chip Group Bhd and Evergreen Max Cash Capital Bhd may serve as proxies to the recent gold price hike.
The FBM KLCI index closed in positive territory. The technical indicators are showing a buy signal; the MACD histogram is in the positive territory while the RSI is trading above 50, indicating an upward momentum.
Resistance is anticipated around 1,658-1,663 while support is located at 1,623-1,628. – Dec 16, 2025
