BELOW are excerpts of viewpoints from two selected research houses on what investors can expect in the day ahead:
Berjaya Research
The FBM KLCI started the week on a dour note, weighed down by the lack of a definitive outcome from the US-Iran negotiations over the weekend.
Trading activity held firm at 2.94 billion shares compared with 2.89 billion shares in the previous session, indicating sustained participation despite the weaker sentiment.
Market breadth turned negative with 760 decliners outpacing 402 advancers, suggesting persistent selling pressure across the broader market as investors adopted a cautious stance.
Looking ahead, the FBM KLCI may continue to trade in a cautious mode in the near term as lingering geopolitical uncertainties and cautious global sentiment could limit strong upside momentum.
Nevertheless, the downside may be cushioned by intermittent bargain hunting following the recent pullback, particularly on fundamentally sound heavyweights.
As the US corporate earnings kicked off this week, investors will also monitor upcoming US Producer Price Index (PPI) data closely as a stable reading could reinforce expectations of a more measured monetary policy trajectory and provide some support to regional market sentiment.
Technically, the FBM KLCI has gapped down to extend its downward bias consolidation trend.
Any potential recovery will keep a lid on the gains towards the immediate resistance at 1,690 points, followed by 1,695 points. Meanwhile, near-term supports remain located at the 1,673-1,660 levels.
Malacca Securities Research
Closer to home, the local bourse is expected to track Wall Street’s positive overnight performance, rebounding from recent losses.
As the US initiates its blockade of the Hormuz Strait, we believe sentiment will remain favourable for MISC Bhd as the shipping giant is well-positioned to pass on higher charter rates to clients.
Similarly, the rebound in oil prices is expected to benefit Dialog Group Bhd, TMK Chemical Bhd and Cropmate Bhd.
Lastly, we maintain an optimistic outlook on MN Holdings Bhd and CBH Engineering Holding Bhd, both of which serve as proxies for Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s grid upgrades and the domestic data centre boom, supported by their respective order books of RM1.3 bil and RM592 mil respectively.
The FBM KLCI fell below 1,700 with its technical indicators are still showing weaker momentum at this current juncture as the MACD histogram is trading below zero while the RSI is still below 50.
Resistance is seen around 1,695-1,700 with support at 1,660-1,665. – April 14, 2026
