KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) posted a new record high at close today, garnering 2.88 points to 1,791.54 on strong buying interest from retail investors, dealers said.

The key index hovered between 1,786.99 and 1,792.36 throughout trading today after opening 1.67 points lower at 1,786.99.

Gainers almost double the losers by 547 to 280, with 301 counters unchanged and 457 untraded, including 24 which were suspended.

Turnover rose to 1.751 billion shares worth RM2.744 billion from 1.593 billion shares worth RM2.432 billion yesterday.

Interpacific Securities Head of Research Pong Teng Siew said sizeable gains in low liner stocks which attracted retail investors to participate actively in the market helped to push the index to an all-time high at close.

"However, it is difficult for this trend to be sustained as today’s trading are mostly on the speculative buying and how market will perform tomorrow will depend on what will be the closing on the Wall Street tonight," he told Bernama today.

Besides low liner stocks, selected blue chips like Tenaga Nasional, Maybank and Maxis helped to push the key index to a record high, as sentiments were positive following the US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments that an accommodative monetary policy would remain appropriate for the foreseeable future.

Tenaga Nasional rose 1.8 per cent or 16 sen to RM9.01, Maybank added 10 sen to RM10.60 and Maxis garnered nine sen to RM7.01.

On the scoreboard, the Industrial Index gained 15.83 points to 3,047.85 and the Finance Index increased 80.699 points to 17,222.76.

The Plantation Index, however, fell 54.13 points to 8,382.89.

The FBM Emas Index rose 37.67 points to 12,517.43 and the FBM 70 Index garnered 97.07 points to 14,475.95 while the FBMT100 added 33.65 points to 12,245.75, with the FBM ACE Index gaining 80.71 points to 4,950.56.

Among actives, CLIQ Energy rose 1.5 sen to 49.5 sen, Sumatec Resources added six sen to 34 sen and Sumatec-WA earned 3.5 sen to 18 sen.

Of the heavyweights, CIMB improved four sen to RM8.46, while Axiata and Sime Darby declined one sen each to RM6.76 and RM9.50, respectively.

Volume on the Main Market rose to 1.524 billion units worth RM2.688 billion from 1.353 billion units worth RM2.387 billion yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE market increased to 173.32 million shares worth RM46.141 million from 203.984 million shares valued at RM38.66 million yesterday.

Warrants improved to 50.703 million units worth RM8.415 million from 34.618 million units worth RM5.09 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 59.251 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 228.602 million, construction 85.862 million, trade and services 602.075 million, technology 70.224 million, infrastructure 25.54 million, SPAC 104.911 million, finance 81.697 million, hotels 1.729 million, properties 180.986 million, plantations 67.855 million, mining 119,000, REITs 15.157 million and closed/fund 103,700. — Bernama