KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 ― Bursa Malaysia remained in negative territory at mid-day today, bucking the regional trend amid improved crude oil prices.

At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 3.98 points lower at 1,708.60, after moving between 1,707.83 and 1,719.76.

The index, however, opened 0.37-of-a-point higher at 1,712.95 at 9.00am.

Market breadth was negative with losers beating gainers 508 to 293 with 358 counters unchanged, 571 untraded and 23 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 1.71 billion shares worth RM1.04 billion.

Among Asian stock markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 142.81 points to 19,393.89, Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 20.70 points to 24,166.78 and China's Shanghai Composite improved 8.44 points to 3,248.40.

The benchmark Brent crude oil prices rose 0.7 per cent to US$56.24 (RM250.74) per barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures inched up 0.6 per cent to US$53.71 per barrel.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank slid two sen to RM8.40, Sime Darby dropped three sen to RM9.17 and Petronas Chemicals reduced 13 sen to RM7.35.

Among actives, Dagangan Nexchange added one sen to 38.5 sen and its warrant remained flat at 9.5 sen, and TMakmur was one sen higher at RM1.89.

Bursa Malaysia said today trading in Tanah Makmur Bhd shares on the Main Market of Bursa Securities would be suspended, effective 9 am, on March 1, 2017.

Sector-wise,the Industrial Index lost 9.93 points to 3,282.17, Plantation Index fell 46.62 points to 8,026.61 while the Finance Index improved 4.60 points to 15,068.36.

The FBM Emas Index was 24.22 points lower at 12,029.02, FBMT100 Index fell 21.46 points to 1,707.97 and the FBM 70 shed 3.45 points to 13,881.27.

The FBM Ace increased 19.15 points to 5,325.63. ― Bernama