KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Shares on Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session lower on weaker demand as external uncertainties hampered buying sentiment. 

At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 7.52 points to 1,634.10 from yesterday’s close of 1,641.62.

After opening 13.15 points weaker at 1,628.47, the FBM KLCI moved between 1,626.93 and 1,641.03 throughout the session. 

In a note, Kenanga Research said Asian stock markets, including Bursa Malaysia, declined as investors were cautious of the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee’s two-day meeting, starting today.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 1.81 per cent to 3,057.76, Jakarta’s Composite Index eased 0.65 per cent to 6,049.79 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was 0.90 per cent lower at 25,852.98.

On the broader market on Bursa Malaysia, losers thumped gainers 641 to 145, while 237 counters were unchanged, 882 untraded and 24 others suspended.

Volume stood at 1.26 billion units valued at RM772.72 million.

Among heavyweights, Maybank added one sen to RM9.31, Public Bank rose 10 sen to RM24.32, Tenaga trimmed 32 sen to RM12.60 and Petronas Chemicals was six sen weaker at RM9.12.

Of actives, VS Industry declined 12.5 sen to 69.5 sen, PriceWorth International eased half-a-sen to 5.5 sen and Vivocom was flat at two sen.

The FBM Emas Index was 88.81 points lower at 11,169.23, the FBMT 100 Index decreased 77.99 points to 11,084.47, the FBM 70 fell 195.87 points to 12,752.10 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 128.42 points to 11,059.51, while the FBM Ace Index dipped 113.39 points to 4,149.48.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index decreased 38.69 points to 17,081.09, the Plantation Index declined 34.21 points to 6,524.89 and the Industrial Products and Services Index was 1.67 of-a-point lower at 163.77. — Bernama