KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened lower today on lack of buying interest following weak performance on the Wall Street on Friday.

At 9.05am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 13.7 points to 1,774.54, after opening 13.74 points lower at 1,774.5.

HwangDBS Vickers Research said there could be muted spillover effects on the Malaysian bourse in line with the weak market on the Wall Street at the end of trading day last week.

The Wall Street key bellwethers slipped between 0.1 per cent and 0.3 per cent at the closing bell as sentiments were dragged by continued fears of an early reduction in the US monetary stimulus and slow corporate earnings momentum.

“On the chart, the benchmark FBN KLCI will probably find immediate support at the 1,785 level,” said HwangDBS in a note today.

On the scoreboard, the Plantation index lost 54.14 points to 8,264.59, the Finance index declined 80.54 points to 16,965.27 and the Industrial Index eased 21.46 points to 2,993.44.

The FBM Emas Index dwindled 67.96 points to 12,409.39, the FBM100 Index erased 70.55 points to 12,130.42, but the FBM 70 Index rose 11.54 points to 14,343.59.

Gainers outpaced losers 140 to 100, with 144 counters unchanged, 1,197 untraded and 11 others were suspended.

Turnover totalled 132.322 million shares worth RM76.243 million.   

Among actives, MAS and Daya Materials gained 1.5 sen to 34.5 sen and 35 sen, respectively, The Media Shoppe earned one sen to 11.5 sen and Instacom Group inched up half-a-sen to 42.5 sen. 

Heavyweights, Maybank and Maxis shed eight sen to RM10.40 and RM7.13, respectively, while CIMB, Axiata and Sime Darby eased five sen to RM7.99, RM6.86 and RM9.45, respectively. — Bernama