KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) pared down gains at lunch break today, but remained in positive territory on the back of sustained buying interest in heavyweights, led by TNB and Axiata. 

At lunch break, the benchmark index rose 7.1 points to 1,679.86 from yesterday’s close of 1,672.76. 

The key index moved between 1,677.05 and 1,684.08 in morning trade, after opening 6.3 points higher at 1,679.06. 

On a broader market, gainers led losers 585 to 221, while 286 counters were unchanged, 772 untraded and 23 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 1.78 billion shares worth RM1.14 billion.

Among heavyweights, TNB jumped 36 sen to RM14, Axiata advanced 10 sen to RM4.01, Sime Darby Plantation increased 12 sen to RM5.04 and Nestle went up RM3.20 to RM146.60.

Public Bank added four sen to RM24.70, CIMB gained three sen to RM5.68, IHH Healthcare improved six sen to RM5.69, Maybank eased two sen to RM9.45 and Petronas Chemicals declined 43 sen to RM8.56.

Of actives, MY E.G improved 6.5 sen to RM1.02, Bumi Armada and Hubline inched up half-a-sen each to 15.5 sen and 5.5 sen respectively, Datasonic was four sen higher at 47 sen and Destini went up two sen to 24 sen.

Gains on Bursa Malaysia were also in line with regional peers following optimism on the US-China trade negotiations.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index advanced 1.01 per cent to 3,154.39, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index improved 2.46 per cent to 26,512.06 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index went up 1.38 per cent to 20,479.97. 

The FBM Emas Index bagged 84 points to 11,545.17, the FBMT 100 Index was 75.26 points higher at 11,434.53 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index strengthened 103.41 points to 11,462.43. 

The FBM Ace Index accelerated 64.93 points to 4,439.11 and the FBM 70 surged 200.06 points to 13,330.84. 

Sector-wise, the Finance Index gained 45.96 points to 17,391.33, the Plantation Index advanced 46.50 points to 6,990.62, and the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 2.06 points to 163.08. — Bernama