KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended lower today on lack of catalysts, and weighed down by heavy selling in selected heavyweights led by Sime Darby.

At 5pm, the key index stood at 1,667.87, down 6.05 points after fluctuating between 1,667.14 and 1,673.11.

Sime Darby dipped 19 sen to RM7.72, contributing 2.0 points to the index’s decline.

Among other heavyweights, Maybank added 1 sen to RM8.37, Petronas Chemicals gained 2 sen to RM6.75, Axiata was flat at RM6.10, TNB fell 2 sen to RM13.40 and Public Bank trimmed 6 sen to RM18.28.

Of the actives, Hibiscus Petroleum rose 2.5 sen to 27 sen, XOX was flat at 21.5 sen, Instacom trimmed 2 sen to 26.5 sen and Genetec Technology shed 1.5 sen to 29 sen.

A dealer said weaker sentiment clouded Asian stocks on the heels of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision on minimal rate cut and extended stimulus exercise.

The ECB reduced its deposit rate by 0.1 of a percentage point to -0.30 per cent and prolong its asset purchase programme by six months.

The dealer added that the market participants would also be eyeing the US nonfarm payrolls and an outcome from OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) meeting to be released later today.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumped 2.18 per cent to 19,504.48, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.81 per cent to 22,235.89 and Singapore’s Straits Times depreciated 0.4 per cent to 2,872.17.

Back home, market breadth was negative, with decliners outnumbering gainers by 424 to 347, while 379 counters were unchanged, 620 untraded and 15 others suspended.

Total volume decreased to 1.57 billion shares worth RM1.60 billion from yesterday’s 2.04 billion shares worth RM1.84 billion.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index shed 21.88 points to 11,610.95, the FBMT100 Index was down 24.08 points to 11,293.26 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index trimmed 4.68 points to 12,523.72. The FBM Ace dipped 35.8 points to 6,404.56 but the FBM 70 advanced 34.68 points to 12,893.01.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Index was 19.68 points lower at 3,273.17, the Finance Index declined 29.35 points to 14,090.33 while the Plantation Index slid 42.15 points to settle at 7,430.38.

Main Market volume slipped to 907.85 million units worth RM1.45 billion from 1.05 billion units worth RM1.64 billion yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 526.69 million shares worth RM124.82 million from yesterday’s 868.02 million shares worth RM178.61 million.

Warrants rose to 136.96 million units worth RM23.03 million from 121.24 million units worth RM18.92 million yesterday.

Consumer products accounted for 71.7 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (202.87 million), construction (63.84 million), trade and services (371.3 million), technology (54.26 million), infrastructure (13.55 million), SPAC (3.63 million), finance (33.04 million), hotels (590,600), properties (77.94 million), plantations (9.82 million), mining (0), REITs (5.3 million) and closed/fund (2,000). — Bernama