KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended the morning session 12.63 points lower at 1,627.51, weighed down by losses in heavyweights.

The key index moved between 1,625.12 and 1,635.28 throughout the session.

Market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 731 to 117, with 218 counters unchanged, 696 untraded and 19 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 910.16 million shares worth RM672.12 million. 

A dealer said the trading on the local bourse remained weak, tracking other regional peers as investors were cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s decision on its direction for interest rates.

The US Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to meet for two days beginning Dec 15 to discuss its lending rate.

On regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 went down 395.48 points to 18,835, China’s Shanghai Composite Index slipped 18.58 points to 3,453.16 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 240.56 points to 21,464.55.

Among the top losers were Panasonic Manufacturing (-RM1.40 to RM23), BAT (-82 sen to RM56.18), Petronas Gas (-50 sen to RM22.18) and Allianz (-30 sen toRM10.20).

Top gainers, on the other hand, were Ajinomoto (+30 sen to RM7.85), Gas Malaysia (+9 sen to RM2.29) and Scientex (+7 sen to RM8.60).

For heavyweights, Maybank eased seven sen to RM8.26, Tenaga slipped 14 sen to RM13, Public Bank lost four sen to RM18.20 while Petronas Chemicals was three sen lower at RM6.65.

Among actives, Red Sena eased 1.5 sen to 38.5 sen, XOX fell two sen to 17.5 sen and Instacom was half-a-sen easier at 27.5 sen.

On the scoreboards, the FBM Emas Index dropped 94.76 points to 11,344.94, the FBMT100 Index decreased 87.65 points to 11,027.86 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 115.67 points to 12,190.74. 

The FBM 70 contracted 107.971 points to 12,618.97 and the FBM Ace gave up 124.68 points to 6,302.86. 

Sector-wise, the Industrial Index was lower by 38.50 points for 3,143.95, the Plantation Index fell 18.80 points to 7,333.85 while the Finance Index fell 64.271 points to 13,952.52.      — Bernama