KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Bursa Malaysia finished the morning session lower today with the benchmark index at an intra-morning low of 1,777.99, amid weak market sentiment and weak influence from external developments, dealers said.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was also 3.66 points weaker from yesterday's close of 1,781.65. 

It opened 4.35 points easier at 1,777.3 and hovered in a tight range as selling in blue chips limited any upside.

Market breadth was negative as losers outpaced gainers 427 to 137 with 252 counters unchanged, 350 untraded and 19 others suspended. 

Turnover stood at 727.01 million shares worth RM759.79 million.

Sentiment in the market was clouded by the growing geopolitical tensions between the United States and North Korea that pushed investors on to the sideline and squared off the market.

Among heavyweights, Maybank fell four sen to RM9.76, Tenaga eased two sen to RM14.20, Petronas Chemicals trimmed three sen to RM6.99, while both Sime Darby and CIMB were flat at RM9.41 and RM6.76 respectively.

Public Bank, however, gained two sen to RM20.64.

Of the actives, Hibiscus perked 1.5 sen to 47 sen, Press Metal bagged three sen to RM3.24, but Frontken shed half-a-sen to 33.5 sen.

KESM was the biggest loser, declining 44 sen to RM14.34 with 42,600 shares transacted.

The FBM Emas Index fell 22.39 points to 12,622.24, the FBMT 100 Index lost 21.81 points to 12,278.57, the FBM Ace eased 32.66 points to 6,411.49 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 12.46 points to 12,750.78 and the FBM 70 slid 13.34 points to 14,918.45.  

Sector-wise, the Finance Index gave up 53.41 points to 16,826.08, the Industrial Index eased 7.17 points to 3,270.81, and the Plantation Index shed 5.94 points to 7,862.19. — Bernama