Skip to content
Monday, 19 October 2026

The Ledger Asia

Trusted Insights. Asian Perspective.

Subscribe
Markets

Ringgit Firms Across Major Currencies After Malaysia’s 5.3% GDP Estimate

The ringgit opened mostly higher after Malaysia’s advance third-quarter GDP estimate showed 5.3% growth, strengthening the domestic economic signal.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Kuala Lumpur, 19 October 2026 – The ringgit opened mostly higher against major and regional currencies after Malaysia’s advance estimate showed gross domestic product expanding 5.3% year on year in the third quarter of 2026. At 8am, the currency stood at RM4.0790 to RM4.0855 against the US dollar, little changed from RM4.0795 to RM4.0835 at Friday’s close.

For Malaysian businesses and investors, the move matters because the growth figure may influence expectations for Bank Negara Malaysia policy, import costs and foreign demand for ringgit assets. The 5.3% estimate is an official preliminary reading, while any interest-rate response remains an assessment rather than a confirmed policy change. Companies should therefore separate the firmer data from speculation about the next monetary decision.

Unlock the Full Article

This article is exclusive to The Ledger Asia Subsribers / PAID members.

Subscribe to Read More

Already have an account? Log in here

This content has been restricted to logged-in users only. Please log in to view this content.

Author

  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.