KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 ― Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session on positive note, with the key composite index rising 0.23 per cent and in line with positive sentiment among regional peers, analysts said.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) improved 5.03 points to 1,805.74 at lunch break from yesterday's close of 1,800.71.

After opening 3.30 points higher at 1,804.01, the index moved between 1,803.06 and 1,810.21 throughout the session.

On the broader market, advancers led losers 334 to 330, with 372 counters unchanged, 847 untraded and 28 others suspended.

Meanwhile, a dealer said most Asian stock markets were on an uptrend in early trading today, continuing recent gains as investors set aside the US-China trade dispute concerns for now.

On regional markets, the Singapore Straits Times index added 0.09 per cent to 3,179.53, Japan’s Nikkei was 0.23 per cent better at 23,727.33 points, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng decreased 0.02 per cent to 27,400.60 points and South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.03 per cent to 2,332.19 points.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank advanced four sen to RM9.79, Petronas Chemicals went up eight sen to RM9.49, CIMB added one sen to RM6.13, but Public Bank fell six sen to RM25 and TNB declined two sen to RM15.76.

Actives were led by Sapura Energy, rising 1.5 sen to 44.5 sen, D&O Green and Hibiscus Petroleum gained two sen each to 76 sen and RM1.03 respectively, while Vortex Consolidated earned half-a-sen to 8.5 sen.

The FBM Emas Index was 29.29 points higher at 12,571.92, the FBMT 100 Index secured 29.84 points to 12,390.33 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 30.99 points to 12,712.58.

The FBM 70 went up 18.06 points to 14,809.92, but the FBM Ace Index shed 22.41 points to 5,160.71.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index surged 62.78 points to 17,894.81, the Industrial Index rose 7.16 points to 3,219.46 and the Plantation Index was 13.82 points better at 7,567.90. ― Bernama