KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — Bursa Malaysia ended lower today with the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) closing 7.79 points or 0.42 per cent easier at 1,824.19, as profit taking emerged in the second session.

The key benchmark index traded within a 17.21-point range today, hitting a high of 1,841.40 earlier in the first session and fell to its lowest at close.

On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers by 409 to 392, with 319 counters unchanged, 542 counters untraded and 19 others suspended.

Total volume dwindled to 2.52 billion shares worth RM1.95 billion from 2.87 billion shares worth RM2.52 billion yesterday.

An equity dealer said on today's trading, profit taking interspersed with buying interest, as several heavyweight stocks had already rebounded from recent profit taking.

"We could see better trading next week, as our trade figures has continuously shown improvement," he told Bernama.

Malaysia's total trade in September 2014 improved 1.6 per cent to RM119.72 billion from RM117.88 billion a year ago, while the trade surplus was recorded at RM9.33 billion, said the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Index-linked companies that has recovered from recent profit taking were British American Tobacco which soared RM2.50 to RM68.00, Petronas Gas rose 10 sen to RM22.00, MISC earned 13 sen to RM7.38, while Maybank added one sen to RM9.66.

Meanwhile, Petronas Chemical led the losers among FBM KLCI component stocks, dipping 22 sen to RM5.89, while Sime Darby and Genting eased 12 sen each to RM9.60 and RM9.46, respectively, while Public Bank shed 10 sen to RM18.24.

In top active list, Dagang Nexchange gained one sen to 38 sen, Efficient E-Solutions added 1.5 sen to 41 sen, Systech Bhd rose 4.5 sen to 22.5 sen, while Compugates earned half-a-sen to 6.0 sen. — Bernama