KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Bursa Malaysia erased yesterday’s gains to end easier today on renewed worries over the global economy battered by falling crude oil prices, dealers said.

A dealer said the dovish minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting also sapped sentiment.

Reflecting investor concern over the global economy, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 5.89 points to close at 1,718.40 from yesterday’s close of 1,724.29.

The market barometer, which opened 5.85 points lower at 1,718.44, moved between 1,714.23 and 1,721.14 throughout the day.

Market breadth was subdued, with losers outpacing gainers by 435 to 365, 387 counters unchanged, 525 untraded and 11 others suspended.

Volume declined 1.44 billion shares valued at RM1.82 billion from 1.52 billion shares valued at RM2.16 billion yesterday.

Affin Hwang Investment Bank vice-president and head of retail research Datuk Dr Nazri Khan Adam Khan said regional stock markets, including Malaysia’s, declined on concern over the global economy due to the dovish minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

“A further fresh fall for oil prices provided a markedly negative backdrop for global risk appetite, putting pressure on global equities including Bursa Malaysia.

“Against this backdrop, I believe that sentiment should be supported by positive local economic data, such as foreign exchange reserves which rose for the sixth consecutive month in March,” Nazri told Bernama.

As at the end of March, reserves held by Bank Negara Malaysia totalled approximately US$97.0 billion (RM379.5 billion).

Japan’s Nikkei 225 went up 0.46 per cent to 15,821.52, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng increased 0.51 per cent to 20,370.40 and Singapore’s Straits Times fell 0.33 per cent to 2,804.20.

Among heavyweights, Maxis fell 15 sen to RM6.13, Public Bank dropped 16 sen to RM19.20, Genting slipped 9 sen to RM9.17, TNB lost 4 sen to RM14.38, CIMB was 3 sen lower at RM4.82 and Astro weakened 5 sen to RM2.92.

Of the active stocks, Vivocom inched up 1.5 sen to 31 sen, Hiap Huat added 1 sen to 11 sen, Bumi Armada gave up 2 sen to 74 sen, Borneo Oil inched down 1.5 sen to 15 sen and EA Holdings rose 2 sen to 11 sen.

Among the top losers, BAT slipped 56 sen to RM55.12, Pharmaniaga fell 40 sen to RM5.85, Scientex and Apex Healthcare each contracted 20 sen to RM13.04 and RM3.75 respectively.

The FBM Emas Index fell 26.03 points to 11,952.54, FBMT100 Index eased 27.11 points to 11,646.47 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 12.68 points to 12,542.03.

The FBM 70 rose 14.77 points to 13,3337.99 and the FBM Ace added 61.31 points to 5,707.29.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index fell 35.00 points to 14,872.54, Industrial Index declined 4.66 points to 3,2765.93 and the Plantation Index went up 5.48 points to 7.821.52.

Main Market turnover fell to 833.80 million units worth RM1.71 billion from the 1.06 billion units worth RM2.08 billion yesterday.

ACE Market turnover surged to 411.70 million shares valued at RM86.06 million from 252.83 million shares valued at RM53.09 million.

Warrants fell to 194.76 million units worth RM23.76 million from 212.12 million units worth RM24.57 million.

Consumer products accounted for 57.09 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (166.81 million), construction (82.71 million), trade and services (360.88 million), technology (24.69 million), infrastructure (8.25 million), SPAC (20.06 million), finance (42.27 million), hotels (1.66 million), properties (49.26 million), plantations (15.92 million), mining (0), REITs (4.16 million) and closed/fund (31,000). — Bernama