Malaysian share prices are expected to make little headway in the coming week, and are vulnerable to a downturn amid growing fears of a US recession, dealers said.
"The bourse is expected to move sideways with downward bias," a dealer with a local brokerage said Wednesday at the end of a holiday-shortened trading week. Malaysia celebrated Chinese Lunar New Year Thursday and Friday.
During the shortened three-day trading week to February 6, the local bourse rose 1.6 percent - 22.69 points - to close at 1,415.94. Trade during the week was cautious ahead of the long weekend. Average daily volume was 738.9 million shares worth 1.79 billion ringgit (555 million dollars) against 775 million shares valued at 1.68 billion ringgit in the previous week.