Expectations of continued interest in plantation stocks amid rising crude palm oil price and the US Federal Reserve rate cut are set to counterbalance potential election-related fluctuations, stabilising Bursa Malaysia’s performance this week.
“With cheaper valuations and oversold signals emerging, there is potential for accumulation and recovery,” he said, adding that this may see the benchmark index trending within the 1,600-1,630 range this week. Current market consensus expects a 25-basis-point rate cut, lowering the federal funds rate to 4.50%–4.75%, with this decision reflecting easing inflation towards the Fed’s 2% target and a slight rise in the US unemployment rate, indicating labour market softening.
“October was a challenging month for the FBM KLCI, which experienced selling pressure, declining from 1,656 at the start of the month to close October at 1,601, a drop of over 50 points. This dip may attract bargain hunters, and we foresee that post-election, investors could begin repositioning portfolios as early as one week after the election,” he said.