KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 — Bursa Malaysia ended lower as investors utilised the period of uncertainty, due to an imminent increase in US interest rate under newly-elected President, Donald Trump, to realise profits off the table.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended at 1,616.64 points, 17.55 points easier from last Friday’s 1,634.19.

After slipping 5.76 points to open at 1,628.43, the local index hovered between 1,614.11 and 1,629.05 throughout the day.

Losers trounced gainers 586 to 210 with 346 counters unchanged, 539 untraded and 16 others were suspended.

Volume decreased to 1.38 billion shares, worth RM1.8 billion, from 1.98 billion shares, worth RM2.80 billion, recorded on Friday.

ForexTime Ltd Research Analyst Lukman Otunuga said Bursa Malaysia was vulnerable and ended the previous week 1.14 per cent lower as investors took profits out of the market.

He said emerging markets would potentially be exposed to further punishment in the shorter term due to the strengthening US dollar and rising expectations of a US interest-rate hike.

"Economists are looking forward to the latest inflation report from Malaysia in the coming weeks which should provide further clue on the health of the Malaysian economy,” he said in a note.

Emerging market stocks fell last week as fears heightened over higher US interest rates under new US President-elect Donald Trump.

Among actives, RGB and Sinotop added 1.5 sen each to 24.5 sen and 14 sen, respectively, while Hibiscus Petroleum shed one sen to 27 sen.

Heavyweights, TNB lost six sen to RM14.14, Maybank fell 13 sen to RM7.67, Public Bank was 12 sen lower at 19.52 and Petronas Chemicals was flat at RM6.81.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index dipped 118.32 points to 11,385.93, FBMT100 Index decreased 117.15 points to 11,097.81 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 120.81 points to 11,983.1.

The FBM 70 was 127.35 points lower at 13,222.8 and the FBM Ace slid 44.7 points to 4,919.89.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Index declined 50.31 points to 3,059.17, Finance Index declined 159.51 points to 14,123.62 and the Plantation Index lost 22.9 points to 7,737.12.

Main Market turnover fell to 917.9 million units, worth RM1.73 billion, from 1.28 billion units, worth RM2.70 billion, registered last Friday.

The ACE Market volume decreased to 161.88 million shares, valued at RM20.26 million, from Friday’s 260.74 million shares worth RM31.71 million.

Warrants contracted to 294.5 million units, valued at RM49.64 million, from 440.82 million units, worth RM72.21 million, transacted on Friday.

Consumer products accounted for 59.16 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (201.54 million), construction (79.17 million), trade and services (352.41 million), technology (91.74 million), infrastructure (12.91 million), SPAC (22.83 million), finance (59.82 million), hotels (293,700), properties (62.01 million), plantations (16.27 million), mining (2,300), REITs (19.68 million) and closed/fund (4,000). — Bernama