KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were higher mid-morning stocks today on further buying interest in heavyweights and penny stocks.

At 11.01am, the benchmark index was up 6.69 points at 1,727.06, after opening 3.7 points higher at 1,724.07.

Index-linked counters, Maybank rose 21 sen to RM10.08, CIMB added one sen to RM7.57 and YTL Corp gained three sen to RM1.60.

Asian markets remained positive with Japan’s Nikkei 225 gaining 2.37 per cent to 13,681.4 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.63 per cent to 22,032.61. 

Closer to home, Singapore’s Straits Times Index was up 0.24 per cent at 3,096.95.

Back home, the Finance Index gained 119.53 points to 16,321.49, the Industrial Index was 0.18 of-a-point higher at 2,917.37 and the Plantation Index added 7.33 points to 8,098.94.

The FBM Emas Index rose 45.16 points to 12,011.24, the FBMT100 Index increased 42.63 points to 11,749.45, the FBM70 Index appreciated 37.66 points to 13,661.36 while the FBM Ace Index rose 50.97 points to 5,278.49.

Advancers led decliners 376 to 174, with 244 counters unchanged, 791 untraded and 18 others were suspended.

Volume stood at 659.281 million shares valued at RM605.560 million. 

Among actives, MAS and The Media Shoppe edged up half-a-sen each to 33 sen and 9.5 sen, respectively, Pesona Metro added one sen to 38 sen while Flonic Hi-Tec was flat at 16.5 sen.

Of heavyweights, Axiata added one sen to RM6.59, TNB rose five sen to RM8.57 but UEM Sunrise was down four sen at RM2.60 and Digi eased one sen to RM4.64. — Bernama