An index of the nation’s small stocks has gained 20% this year compared with a 3.6% decline in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index tracking the biggest 30 companies.
Investors from Manulife to Areca Capital expect Malaysia’s large firms to benefit from clearer policy direction after a year of public reforms and project reviews. The benchmark KLCI could gain about 10% from Friday’s close, he said, adding that “large caps would do good in the second half, even if small ones don’t.”
The near-unanimous vote to pass a bill on the minimum voting age shows that “the investment case is becoming more attractive,” Tan said, adding that he’s been adding to his holdings of the country’s stocks.