The ringgit opened mostly higher against major and regional currencies on Monday, supported by Malaysia’s stronger-than-expected economic growth, although the local currency traded little changed against the US dollar.
At 8am, the ringgit was quoted at RM4.0790/4.0855 against the US dollar, compared with Friday’s closing rate of RM4.0795/4.0835, according to Bernama. The opening figures showed a mixed movement against the greenback, with the ringgit’s buying rate improving slightly while its selling rate weakened.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said Malaysia’s stronger-than-expected economic growth could reinforce expectations of a potential normalisation of monetary policy.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported in its advance estimate released on Friday that the economy grew by 5.3% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, following growth of 6.0% in the preceding quarter.
Afzanizam said the ringgit-US dollar pair could trade within a range of RM4.07 to RM4.08 on Monday. However, concerns over valuations of artificial intelligence-related stocks could prompt investors to seek safe-haven assets, including US Treasury bonds, potentially supporting the US dollar.
Against other major currencies, the ringgit strengthened against the euro, trading at RM4.5791/4.5864 compared with Friday’s closing rate of RM4.5911/4.5956. It also edged higher against the British pound to RM5.4393/5.4480 from RM5.4396/5.4449. However, the local currency weakened against the Japanese yen to RM2.5849/2.5892 per 100 yen from RM2.5831/2.5895.
Regional currency movements were mostly positive for the ringgit. It strengthened against the Singapore dollar to RM3.1882/3.1935 from RM3.1889/3.1922 and against the Thai baht to RM12.2013/12.2320 per 100 baht from RM12.2101/12.2268.
The ringgit also edged higher against the Indonesian rupiah to RM226.2/226.7 per 100 rupiah from RM226.3/226.6 and the Philippine peso to RM6.47/6.49 per 100 pesos from RM6.48/6.49.
Investors will continue monitoring Malaysia’s economic outlook, expectations for domestic monetary policy and global market sentiment for further direction. While stronger economic growth could support the ringgit, movements in the US dollar and demand for safe-haven assets remain important external factors.
