KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — Market sentiment on Bursa Malaysia is expected to remain positive next week, giving a further lift to the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI).

Affin Hwang Investment Bank head of retail research Datuk Dr Nazri Khan said that positive sentiment on Friday boosted by external news such as the ceasefire in Ukraine, rising oil prices, an easing of tension over the debt repayment of Greece and further central bank policy accommodation in China and Sweden, would spur risk appetite.

“In Asia, we saw a strong overnight showing, driven by liquidity injection from China’s central bank and overall regional currency strength,” he added.

He told Bernama the recent back-to-back strong positive economic data released by Bank Negara Malaysia of 5.8 per cent growth for the fourth quarter 2014 and full-year growth of 6.0 per cent, suggested that the country’s economic fundamentals remained intact. This would influence sentiment.

This is alongside Standard and Poor’s Rating Services having reaffirmed Malaysia’s currency ratings with a stable outlook, Bank Negara’s strong international reserves of RM386.5 billion as at January 30, 2015, and a 7.4 per cent growth in the Industrial Production Index (IPI).

In the week just ended, the FBM KLCI slipped 12.3 points to 1,800.95 from 1,813.25 the previous week, weighed down by the volatility in global oil prices and the loss in TNB’s shares owing to an adjustment in tariffs.

The key index, which broke through its psychological level of 1,800, rebounded slightly on Friday, backed by the recovery in oil prices.

The FBM Emas Index fell 33.58 points to 12,428.34, the FBMT100 Index 55.15 points to 12,107.6, the FBM Emas Syariah Index 51.41 points to 12,929.56, and the FBM Ace 219.8 points to 6,413.05. The FBM 70 improved 44.68 points to 13,503.28.

Sector-wise, the Plantation Index surged 141.58 points to 8,164.92, the Finance Index rose 65.26 points to 15,922.45 and the Industrial Index added 7.39 points to 3,285.99.

Weekly turnover doubled to 10.43 billion units valued at RM11.44 billion from 5.98 billion units valued at RM6.93 billion previously.

Main market volume widened to 7.43 billion shares worth RM10.77 billion from 3.75 billion shares worth RM6.39 billion.

Warrants turnover increased to 490.71 million units worth RM109.76 million from 261.78 million units worth RM76.46 million. The ACE market volume improved to 2.5 billion shares valued at RM556.11 million from 1.96 billion shares valued at RM460.54 million. — Bernama