The past week witnessed a mixed performance in global financial markets, with the majority of markets closing in negative territory, according to Principal Asset Management Bhd (Principal Malaysia).
It said in its weekly updates, Malaysia FBMKLCI registered a marginal decline, reflecting prevailing cautious sentiment within the regional economy.
While the United States showed resilience with a positive gain, while Europe and Japan faced significant downward pressure.
In the US, reports revealed stronger-than-expected job data, with a remarkable increase of 336,000 jobs for the month, surpassing the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 170,000.
In Europe, the final manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, inched down to 43.4 in September from August’s 43.5, aligning with preliminary estimates.
In China, financial markets remained closed during the previous week for the Mid-Autumn celebration and the national day holiday. Meanwhile, China’s factory activity rebounded, indicating signs of a potential economic turnaround.
Given the prevailing global uncertainties, it advised investors to consider high-quality income-focused investment products.
