Shares of Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) traded slightly higher at RM9.68 as of 3.21pm, rising 1 sen or 0.10% on a volume of 2.69 million shares. The counter opened at RM9.60, touched a low of RM9.58 and a high of RM9.69.
The marginal uptick comes as investors digest a mix of local monetary policy signals and global trade pressures. Bank Negara Malaysia’s recent decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate at 3.00% alongside a 100 basis point cut in the statutory reserve requirement is seen as supportive of banking sector liquidity, potentially boosting net interest margins for lenders like Maybank.
At the same time, concerns over slower GDP growth amid ongoing global tariff uncertainties continue to weigh on sentiment. Maybank recently downgraded its outlook on the domestic banking sector to “neutral,” with an earnings forecast cut of around 5% for 2025.
Still, Maybank’s fundamentals remain resilient. The bank posted a RM2.59 billion net profit for the first quarter, up 4% year-on-year, supported by stable interest margins and non-interest income from wealth management.
Investors are watching closely for further cues from both domestic monetary moves and external macroeconomic developments as the session heads towards closing.
