KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened higher today, extending gains from last week on fresh buying support in selective blue chips, dealers said.

Ten minutes into trading, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 2.49 points higher or 0.14 per cent at 1,785, after opening 3.51 points better at 1,786.02.

HwangDBS Vickers Research said the local stock market could be swaying with a slight positive slant ahead.

It said the benchmark FBM KLCI may strive to regain its lost ground by rising to test the immediate resistance line of 1,785 today.

In terms of economic news flow, on tap this afternoon is the release of the external trade statistics for June.

“According to a media survey, the consensus is projecting a year-on-year change of -6.9 per cent for exports and +4.5 per cent for imports, translating to a monthly trade surplus of RM8 billion,” the research house said in a note.

On the scoreboard, the Finance index rose 10.85 points to 16,856.14, the Industrial index gained 12.46 points to 3,029.02 and the Plantation index added 4.98 points to 8,353.43. 

The FBM Emas Index advanced 15.87 points to 12,420.45, the FBM100 Index garnered 16.57 points to 12,166.91 and the FBM 70 Index increased 17.87 points to 14,242.96. 

Gainers slightly outpaced losers by 115 to 82, with 131 counters unchanged, 1,248 untraded and 13 others were suspended.

Turnover totalled 118.021 million shares worth RM43.248 million.

Among actives, Iris Corp gained 2.5 sen to 23.5 sen while Daya Materials added 2.5 sen to 31.5 sen and Ingenuity Consolidated inched up half-a-sen to 8.5 sen.

Axiata was up one sen to RM6.84, Sime Darby improved three sen to RM9.54, CIMB and Maxis were flat at RM7.84 and RM7.09, respectively, but Maybank eased four sen to RM10.28.

Petronas Gas was among the leading top gainers, garnering 36 sen to RM21, BAT added 24 sen to RM63.24, Pintaras Jaya went up 19 sen to RM5.62 and UMW Holdings rose 16 sen to RM14.28. — Bernama