KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia finished marginally higher in quiet trading on the back of buying support in selected heavyweights and finance-related counters.

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended 3.46 points higher at its intraday high of 1,637.69, after opening 0.93 of-a-point better at 1,635.16.

The key index fluctuated between 1,630.30 and 1,637.69 throughout the day.

Market breadth was mixed with gainers edging losers 371 to 370 with 375 counters unchanged, 611 untraded and 19 others suspended.

Volume increased to 1.35 billion units worth RM1.45 billion from yesterday’s 1.24 billion units worth RM1.41 billion.

The market will be closed tomorrow for the Nuzul Al-Quran holiday.

Mercury Securities Head of Research Edmund Tham told Bernama that investors would stay on the sidelines for the next few days as they await the United Kingdom’s (UK) European Union referendum on Thursday.

“The main reason is Brexit (the UK leaving the European Union)...not everyone is participating in the market now as they await the outcome of the referendum vote,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd in a note said the FBM KLCI would continue to trade tepidly this week at between 1,600 and 1,640, due to the escalating foreign funds outflow from the domestic market.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank, IHH Healthcare and Hong Leong Bank added two sen each to RM8.22, RM6.51 and RM13.26 respectively, Public Bank rose eight sen to RM19.24, TNB was flat at RM14.00, while Axiata declined 10 sen to RM5.48.

Among actives, AirAsia gained 11 sen to RM2.64, Comintel Corporation fell 27 sen to 66.5 sen, Bumi Armada went down 10 sen to 69 sen and Sanichi Technology shed half-a-sen to 13.5 sen.

The FBM Emas Index increased 43.34 points to 11,449.77, the FBMT 100 Index was 45.08 points better at 11,155.69 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 29.10 points to 11,998.42.

The FBM 70 improved 131.19 points to 12,977.20 and the FBM Ace was 10.58 points higher to 5,249.96.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index rose 24.97 points to 14,129.17, the Plantation Index slipped 42.27 points to 7,559.97 and the Industrial Index put on 5.61 points to 3,071.26.

Main Market turnover widened to 788.03 million shares worth RM1.36 billion from yesterday’s 746.50 million shares worth RM1.33 billion.

The ACE Market volume swelled to 370.49 million shares worth RM66.84 million from 302.54 million shares worth RM56.36 million.

Warrants fell to 189.19 million shares worth RM28.06 million from 194.84 million shares worth RM23.96 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 36.61 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (145.82 million), construction (34.45 million), trade and services (388.26 million), technology (99.48 million), infrastructure (6.19 million), SPAC (5.41 million), finance (50.08 million), hotels (265,600), properties (40.75 million), plantations (22.27 million), mining (20,000), REITs (8.40 million) and closed/fund (5,000). — Bernama