KUALA LUMPUR:Foreign investors withdrew RM535.5 million net of local equities during the third week of 2021 compared to the RM288.4 million sold in the preceding week.
Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd economist Adam Mohamed Rahim said international investors started the week by disposing of RM199.7 million net of local equities on Monday as investors feared the possibility of a slow vaccine rollout which may retard global economic recovery.
Likewise, the FBM KLCI index had a rough start to the week as it saw a 1.3 per cent drop on Monday last week to settle at 1,576.6 points, bucking the trend of regional peers such as South Korea, Thailand, Japan, and Hong Kong which ended the day higher, underpinned by optimism from the proposed US stimulus package.
The momentum of foreign net selling accelerated to RM298.9 million on Tuesday as investor sentiment was dampened by the news that a US fiscal relief package might be delayed.
"President Joe Biden said he is open to reshaping his US$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal as the administration seeks a bipartisan deal, though did not rule out pursuing a Democrat-only route for passage.
"The pace at which foreign investors were selling local equities took a breather on Wednesday as they only sold RM81.3 million net which was in conformity with other Southeast Asian peers such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines," he told Bernama.
On the monetary policy front, traders were expecting US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to maintain the central bank's aggressive support for the US economy when it concluded a two-day meeting on Wednesday.
As the markets reopened from the Thaipusam public holiday, Adam said offshore investors made a modest return by acquiring RM44.4 million net of local equities on Friday.
The foreign net inflow on Friday snapped the eight-day foreign selling streak on Bursa Malaysia.
On further scrutiny, Malaysia was the only country that recorded a foreign net inflow on Friday compared to other Asian markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, India, and Taiwan.
Positive vibes spilled over to Malaysia as the US shares on Thursday mounted a comeback from their worst loss since October as moves to limit retail traders' speculation in some companies opened the door for hedge funds to load up on stocks they had been ditching.
Overall, the month of January 2021 saw a foreign net outflow of RM834.7 million net, marking the 19th consecutive month of foreign net outflow from Bursa Malaysia.
"In comparison with other Asian peers under our overage (South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and India), Malaysia has the smallest monthly foreign net outflow in January 2021, while South Korea recorded the highest monthly foreign net selling of US$5.2 billion net during the same month," said Adam.
Meanwhile, MIDF Research, in its Fund Flow Report, said since the beginning of 2021, cumulatively, retailers were the only net buyers of the equity market to the tune of RM1.75 billion.
Local institutions and foreign investors were net sellers to the tune of -RM919.25 million and -RM833.87 million, respectively.
Major equity markets worldwide also saw negative performance for the fourth week of 2021, including the US, Singapore and Europe, it said.
On the local front, investors breathed a sigh of relief when Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz gave an assurance that the government will not impose a total lockdown on Malaysia's economy even if the worst-case scenario happens.
He was responding to a question from the media whether the government would impose a full-scale lockdown if the COVID-19 vaccine rollout was not going to sail smoothly as anticipated.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Tue Feb 02 2021
As the markets reopened from the Thaipusam public holiday, Adam said offshore investors made a modest return by acquiring RM44.4 million net of local equities on Friday.
Piala Thomas: Malaysia diundi bertemu Jepun di suku akhir
Skuad kebangsaan akan meneruskan kempen demi misi membawa Piala Thomas pulang ke tanah air sejak kali terakhir memenanginya pada 1992.
Kenaikan gaji: Fahami konteks, berlaku adil buat perbandingan - Fahmi
Isu timbul selepas ada pihak mendakwa kenaikan paling tinggi adalah sebanyak 35 peratus pada era pentadbiran perdana menteri kelima, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Kerajaan sedia terima kritikan, namun, tidak bertolak ansur sentimen 3R - PM Anwar
Kebebasan bersuara yang diperuntukkan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan bukan bermakna kebebasan untuk mencerca dan memaki hamun sesuka hati.
ADUN Sungai Bakap ditidurkan akibat keradangan perut
Muhammad Fauzi dimaklumkan oleh ahli keluarga Nor Zamri berhubung keadaan kesihatan beliau yang ketika ini ditidurkan.
NCEC setuju transformasi perundangan sisa pepejal diadakan - KPKT
Mesyuarat NCEC bersetuju mengadakan transformasi perundangan bagi sisa pepejal.
AirAsia yakin mampu harungi pergerakan mata wang tidak menggalakkan, kenaikan harga bahan api
AirAsia yakin mampu tangani kenaikan harga bahan api dan pergerakan mata wang tidak menggalakkan yang berpanjangan, yang terus meningkatkan cabaran global.
JPN pergiat masuk pedalaman kampung Orang Asli, daftar sijil kelahiran, MyKad
JPN mempergiatkan inisiatif memasuki kawasan pedalaman Orang Asli bagi mengurangkan kelewatan daftar kelahiran dan MyKad komuniti itu.
Semakan gaji penjawat awam adalah wajar untuk hadapi inflasi - Ahli ekonomi
Semakan gaji penjawat awam adalah munasabah, sudah lama tertunggak dan wajar untuk menghadapi inflasi, kata seorang ahli ekonomi.
Isu terpalit FAM tak jejas Harimau Malaya - Faisal
Faisal sifatkan barisan pemain skuad kebangsaan tidak terjejas dengan isu yang terpalit Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM) baru-baru ini.
Kenaikan gaji: Tingkat produktiviti, kecekapan penyampaian perkhidmatan kepada rakyat - KPPA
Semua anggota perkhidmatan awam perlu meningkatkan produktiviti dan kecekapan dalam menyampaikan perkhidmatan kepada rakyat seiring pengumuman kenaikan gaji.
Indeks utama Bursa Malaysia turun 0.42 peratus susulan pengambilan untung
Pada 5 petang, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) turun 6.69 mata atau 0.42 peratus kepada 1,575.97 daripada paras penutup 1,582.66 pada Isnin.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka tinggi, teruskan kenaikan
Pada 9.05 pagi, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) naik 2.89 mata kepada 1,585.55 daripada 1,582.66 ketika ditutup pada Isnin.
Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi susulan sokongan dana asing, institusi tempatan
Pada 5 petang, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) meningkat 7.50 mata untuk ditutup kepada 1,582.66 daripada paras penutup 1,575.16 pada Jumaat.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka tinggi seiring prestasi Wall Street
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah pada Isnin, mengambil petunjuk pasaran serantau dan kenaikan di Wall Street pada hari Jumaat.
Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi susulan sentimen positif pasaran serantau
Pada 5 petang, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) meningkat 5.91 mata kepada 1,575.16 daripada paras penutup 1,569.25 pada Khamis.
AirAsia Group bakal disenaraikan di Bursa Malaysia pada September - Tony Fernandes
AirAsia Group Sdn Bhd (AAG) bakal disenaraikan di Bursa Malaysia pada September, mengambil alih status penyenaraian AirAsia X Bhd, kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Capital A Bhd Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah, jejaki prestasi Wall Street
Pada 9.10 pagi, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) susut 2.29 mata kepada 1,566.96 daripada 1,569.25 ketika ditutup pada Khamis.
Bursa Malaysia ditutup rendah selepas kenaikan enam hari berturut-turut
Pada 5 petang, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) susut 2.23 mata kepada 1,569.25 daripada 1,571.48 ketika ditutup pada Rabu.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka bercampur-campur
Pada 9.23 pagi, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) naik 0.35 mata kepada 1,571.83 daripada 1,571.48 ketika ditutup pada Rabu.
Bursa Malaysia ditutup pada paras tertinggi dalam tempoh dua tahun
Di keseluruhan pasaran, kaunter untung mengatasi kaunter rugi sebanyak 777 berbanding 327 manakala 480 kaunter tidak berubah, 780 tidak diniagakan dan 21 yang lain digantung.