The Malaysia stock market has moved higher now in three straight sessions, rising almost 15 points or 1.0 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index settled just below the 1,565-point plateau, and now traders are expecting a mild withdrawal when the market kicks off trade on Wednesday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests mild consolidation on profit taking after solid gains earlier in the week. The Asian markets climbed on Tuesday on news that Euro-zone finance ministers approved a second rescue package for Greece. The European markets finished lower and the U.S. markets were mixed on Tuesday, and the Asian markets are also expected to track to the downside.
The KLCI finished slightly higher on Tuesday as gains from the financial shares and plantation stocks were dented by softness from the industrial issues. For the day, the index added 3.21 points or 0.21 percent to finish at 1,563.78 after trading between 1,564.86 and 1,558.13. Volume was 1.894 billion shares worth 1.747 billion ringgit. There were 442 decliners and 370 gainers, with 345 stocks finishing unchanged. Among the gainers, United Plantations, Panasonic Manufacturing, Fraser and Neave, YTL Cement, Maybank, Sime Darby, Petronas Chemicals and RHB Capital all finished higher.
Wall Street offers little insight as stocks finished Tuesday's trading with a mixed performance. With U.S. markets closed on Monday for the President's Day holiday, Wall Street caught up on all the news that broke over the weekend, with the good news offsetting the bad.
Euro-zone finance ministers early Tuesday gave a green light to a second rescue package for Greece, unlocking 130 billion euros in bailout money for the cash-strapped nation. The new bailout would leave Greece with sufficient funds to repay a 14.5 billion euros bond due on March 20.
Ensuring debt sustainability and restoring competitiveness are the main goals of the new program, the Eurogroup said in a statement. The deal follows weeks of sometimes tense negotiations and a number of austerity measures in Greece.
In corporate news, Wal-Mart (WMT) saw earnings for its latest quarter slide more than 4 percent on year. Sales at the world's largest retailer rose about 6 percent to $122.3 billion. Also, Earnings at Home Depot (HD) rose 32 percent in the fourth quarter, thanks to cost controls and a 6 percent rise in sales. Finally, Macy's (M) saw quarterly profit jump 12 percent on year, while rival department store chain Saks (SKS) also announced increased sales and earnings.
The major U.S. averages ended mixed on Tuesday as the Dow added 15.82 points or 0.12 percent to finish at 12,965.69, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ fell 3.21 points or 0.11 percent to finish at 2,948.57 and the S&P 500 ticked up 0.98 points or 0.07 percent to close at 1,362.21.
In economic news, Malaysia will on Wednesday announce the inflation rate for January, with forecasts suggesting the rate will come in at 2.7 percent - down from 3.0 percent in December.
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Market Analysis
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.