KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed mixed in active trading today on mild profit taking in high volume stocks, dealers said.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI closed 2.52 points higher or 0.14 per cent at 1,792.39 after hovering between 1,789.39 and 1,795.14 during the entire trading session.

However, losers led gainers by 438 to 350, with 324 counters unchanged, 493 untraded and 30 others suspended.

“People are looking for the next catalyst but it did not emerge,” Mercury Securities Head of Research Edmund Tham told Bernama.

As a result, some people might have taken advantage of last week’s uptrend to pocket their gains due to the absence of a strong catalyst, he said.

Total turnover rose to 1.51 billion shares worth RM1.88 billion from 1.49 billion shares valued at RM1.58 billion on Friday.

Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd said FBM KLCI has the potential for further strengthening in the daily trend and momentum.

Remarks from the new US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman, Nominee Janet Yellen, that she backed the Fed’s current bond-buying programme, stronger-than-expected Malaysia third quarter GDP data and speculation that Beijing will release a new plan to revamp the country’s state sector, should bode well for the immediate term technical rebound.

On the scoreboard, the Finance Index improved 39.03 points to 16,531.46, the Industrial Index rose 9.6 points to 3,096.26 while the Plantation Index gained 88.34 points to 8,768.67.

The FBM Emas Index rose 16.971 points to 12,492.61, the FBMT100 Index advanced 18.94 points to 12,215.83, the FBM Ace slipped 65.64 points to 5,675.08 and the FBM 70 was 29.38 points higher at 14,293.62. 

Among actives, Berjaya Auto, which made its debut on the Main Market today, gained RM1.12 sen to RM1.82.

Other actives, Tiger Synergy added half-a-sen to 27.5 sen and Sumatec Resources fell 8.5 sen to 39 sen.

Heavyweights, Maybank gained six sen to RM9.83, Axiata lost five sen to RM6.77 and Sime Darby added six sen to RM9.57.

Volume on the Main Market rose to 1.17 billion shares worth RM1.81 billion from 1.08 billion shares valued at 1.49 billion transacted on Friday.

Turnover on the ACE market fell to 258.88 million shares worth RM56.81 million from 354.70 million shares valued at RM74.87 million recorded last week.

Warrants fell to 34.76 million units valued at RM3.92 million from 40.062 million units worth RM4.953 million registered last week.

Consumer products accounted for 85.82 million shares on the Main Market; industrial products 183.05 million; construction 47.881 million, trade and services 471.3 million, technology 81.94 million, infrastructure 25.96 million, SPAC 32.7 million, finance 68.86 million, hotels 1.2 million, properties 104.56 million, plantations 62.89 million, mining 2,000, REITs 4.62 million and closed/fund 146,300. — Bernama