KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — The weak market sentiment, largely due to geopolitical tensions between the US and North Korea, continued to affect investors’ risk appetite on Bursa Malaysia, influencing the key index and other counters to open broadly lower this morning, dealers said.

At 9.04am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 3.36 points to 1,774.41 against yesterday’s close of 1,777.77.

The benchmark index opened 2.89 points weaker at 1,774.88.

On the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 264 to 37, with 149 counters unchanged, 1,391 untraded and 18 others were suspended.

A dealer said the gloomy global market environment would prolong today as tensions between the US and North Korea escalated with both nations continued to threaten each other.

"The risk appetite would further ease today in line with other regional bourses as market players digested North Korea’s threat to launch four intermediate-range missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam,” he told Bernama.

Nevertheless, Kenaga Research said, the key index’s underlying trend was mildly positive as most momentum indicators remained healthy.

The research house said, all in, the bias of the movement on Bursa Malaysia would mildly on the upside towards 1,789 and possibly 1,795, while support levels were located at 1,771 and 1,760.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank fell eight sen to RM9.70, CIMB eased five sen to RM6.73, both Tenaga and Public Bank declined two sen each to RM14.20 and RM20.58 respectively, while Sime Darby slipped one sen to RM9.41.

However, Petronas Chemicals, which announced a solid first half results yesterday, rose two sen to 7.05.

Among active counters, Anzo was flat at 9.5 sen, Hiap Teck slipped one sen to 36.5 sen, while Managepay inched down half-a-sen to 24.5 sen.

The FBM Emas Index lost 36.6 points to 12,568.83, FBM 70 erased 63.95 points to 14,813.91, FBM Emas Shariah Index shed 26.68 points to 12,701.51, FBM Ace decreased 56.28 points to 6,376 and FBMT 100 Index edged down 30.37 points to 12,238.95.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index gave up 53.93 points to 16,776.17, Plantation Index inched down 0.15 of-a-point to 7,829.81 and the Industrial Index slipped 1.41 points to 3,247.1. — Bernama