KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia Berhad (Bursa Malaysia) has announced a Profit After Tax, Zakat and Minority Interest (PATAMI) of RM68.4 million for the first quarter of 2025 (1Q2025), representing an 8.8% decline from RM75.0 million in the same period last year. The decrease in PATAMI is primarily attributed to a 1.7% drop in operating revenue, which fell to RM177.7 million from RM180.7 million in 1Q2024.
Bursa Malaysia’s operating expenses also increased by 6.7%, rising to RM92.9 million in 1Q2025 from RM87.1 million in 1Q2024, driven by higher technology expenses and subscription costs related to the launch of the Centralised Sustainability Intelligence (CSI) platform in June 2024.
Despite these challenges, Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia, highlighted the resilience of Malaysia’s capital market. He noted that external factors—such as global market uncertainty—had weighed down performance, but the country’s strong economic fundamentals and government policies remain supportive. Notably, the exchange has seen a strong IPO pipeline, with 16 listings recorded to date, on track to meet its annual target of 60 IPOs.
Market Performance Overview
The Securities Market saw a decline in trading revenue, with the average daily trading value for On-Market Trades (OMT) and Direct Business Trades (DBT) dropping by 11.9% to RM2.8 billion in 1Q2025, compared to RM3.2 billion in 1Q2024. This decline was exacerbated by a reduction in the number of trading days, which were down by two days compared to the previous year. As a result, trading velocity also fell by 6 percentage points, from 39% to 33%.
On a brighter note, the Derivatives Market posted a 13.7% increase in trading revenue, reaching RM28.9 million in 1Q2025, driven by a surge in Average Daily Contracts (ADC) traded for Crude Palm Oil Futures (FCPO). Additionally, the Islamic Market recorded a 23.0% increase in operating revenue, primarily due to higher trading revenue from Bursa Suq Al-Sila’ (BSAS).
Looking ahead, Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed stressed that Bursa Malaysia remains committed to strengthening its market resilience through enhanced product offerings and outreach initiatives to attract broader investor participation. These efforts are designed to mitigate the impact of global uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions, monetary policy decisions, and commodity price volatility.
The CEO also highlighted the exchange’s focus on sustainability, with ongoing efforts to empower listed companies to improve their sustainability disclosures via the CSI Platform, now enhanced with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. Additionally, Bursa Malaysia aims to support the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy through the expansion of initiatives like the Bursa Carbon Exchange (BCX) and Bursa Malaysia RAM Capital Sdn. Bhd. (BR Capital).
Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed expressed appreciation for the outgoing Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, acknowledging his invaluable contributions over the past five years.
