Malaysian stocks offer investment value, but risks remain, says economist

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian-listed companies continue to attract both international and domestic investors, including fund managers, due to their strong investment value, according to Universiti Kuala Lumpur Business School economic analyst Associate Professor Aimi Zulhazmi Abdul Rashid.

However, Aimi cautioned retail investors to fully understand the risks and returns associated with investments, despite the positive figures in Malaysia's equity market.

"Being an open economy, the Malaysian Bourse is highly exposed to the news and development in the international financial markets; movement by the US Federal Reserve (Fed), either in terms of interest rates increase or decrease, and geopolitical development has an immediate impact on the Malaysian financial market and economy.

"Investors, especially the retail investors, must understand the opposite relationship between risk and return in investment, where high return means high risk and vice versa.

"Investment management requires good understanding, guidance, and luck. Bursa Malaysia, as per their peers in the other developing countries, is highly subjected to the global financial market movement, especially related to the US dollar as the global currency," he told Business Times.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently highlighted Malaysia's equity market capitalisation surpassing RM2 trillion this year as a testament to the country's economic recovery.

Anwar stated that increasing retail investor participation is crucial to making equity investments a common tool for wealth creation.

This aligns with the MADANI Economy's vision of fostering equitable opportunities across all sectors. Enhanced retail participation, he noted, would also boost market liquidity and dynamism, benefiting all stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Aimi said he observed correlations between US and Malaysian market movements in recent months.

For instance, the ringgit strengthened from RM4.70 to RM4.25 against the US dollar within months after the Fed reduced interest rates by 50 basis points in September, he said.

However, subsequent events reversed the trend.

"In November, when the Federal Reserve announced a slower interest rate cut of 25 basis points, plus Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, it pushed the US dollar to a high level again. Consequently, the ringgit weakened to RM4.47 in a short period of time.

"Similarly, the flow of foreign investment had improved tremendously and was ably supported by the local investors, hence pushing the KLSE index way above 1,650 points; however, since the first week of November, the index had retreated to below 1,600 points," he added. l