KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — A buying spree in Maybank and CIMB helped lift the key index on Bursa Malaysia and end the morning session on a firm note amid bullish market sentiment.

At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 5.74 points firmer at 1,585.74 from yesterday's close of 1,580.

Maybank soared 13 sen to RM8.60 after 3.78 million shares changed hands, while CIMB rose eight sen to RM5.17 with 5.13 million shares done.

Both stocks contributed 3.944 points to the composite index.

There were 364 gainers on broader market to 314 losers, while 375 counters were unchanged, 939 untraded and 47 others suspended.

Turnover amounted to 1.41 billion shares worth RM876.27 million.

A dealer said global equities were mostly on an uptrend as investors cheered the 25 basis points cut in the US interest rate.

Regionally, the Singapore Straits Times Index gained 0.57 per cent to 3,226.35, Japan’s Nikkei 225 improved 0.31 per cent to 22,914.16 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index surged 1.06 per cent to 26,949.08.

Among heavyweights, Tenaga and Public Bank rose eight sen each to RM13.88 and RM19.48 respectively, Petronas Chemicals bagged two sen to RM7.45, while IHH was flat at RM5.74.

Of the actives, Mudajaya improved 3.5 sen to 37.5 sen, MyEG increased eight sen to RM1.14 and Bumi Armada inched up half-a-sen to 42.5 sen, but IFCA slipped 1.5 sen to 49 sen.

The FBM Emas Index was 41.95 points higher at 10,866.97, the FBMT 100 Index advanced 41.05 points to 11,046.7 and the FBM Ace chalked up 64.61 points to 4,950.9.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 23.72 points to 11,821.45 and the FBM 70 advanced 56.19 points to 13,928.4.

Sectorwise, the Financial Services Index climbed 115.66 points to 15,435.8, the Plantation Index edged up 35.79 points for 6,706.73, while the Industrial Products & Services Index added 0.24 of a point to 153.3. — Bernama