KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were broadly lower at mid-afternoon today, in tandem with regional markets on weak external factors.

At 3.05pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 26.67 points lower at 1,840.65.

Global sentiment was weak due to concerns on conflicts in Iraq.

Regionally, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 2.98 per cent to 14,778.37, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.02 per cent to 24,383.68 and Singapore’s Straits Times slipped 0.74 per cent to 3,289.9.

Decliners thumped advancers by 916 to 102 with 175 counters unchanged, 416 untraded and 19 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.50 billion shares worth RM1.55 billion.

Among actives, PDZ Holdings added one sen to 21.5 sen, Globaltec increased 1.5 sen to 8.5 sen, Luster Industries edged up half-a-sen to 11.5 sen, ETI Tech was flat at nine sen but Sumatec was one sen lower to 49 sen.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank was down eight sen to RM9.92, Public Bank lost 48 sen to RM19.04, TNB declined 12 sen to RM11.98, Axiata fell two sen to RM6.94 and Sime Darby dipped nine sen to RM9.42.

On the scoreboard, the Finance Index lost 248.42 points to 17,092.48, the Plantation Index shed 44.06 points to 8,907.65 and the Industrial Index slid 63.2 points to 3,146.35.

The FBM Emas Index eased 175.07 points to 12,890.69, FBMT100 Index fell 163.57 points to 12,461.09 and the FBM70 trimmed 121.52 points at 14,228.19.

The FBM ACE declined 158.36 points to 7,023.92. — Bernama