KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 ― Bursa Malaysia opened lower today, with the key index traded below 1,500-level, weighed down by selling activities in selected heavyweights. 

At 9.05am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 5.76 points to 1,499.15 from yesterday's close of 1,504.91.   

The index opened 6.95 points weaker at 1,497.96. 

On the broader market, losers slightly outpaced gainers 167 to 162, while 224 counters were unchanged, 1,398 untraded and 37 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 291.92 million units worth RM104.35 million.

In a note today, Malacca Securities said volatility will remain a feature over the near-term as investors were quick to lock in gains on any signs of negativity.

"In the meantime, the declining trading volumes that fell to its lowest level since end-April 2020 suggested that investors’ sentiment has turned slightly risk averse for the time being,” said Malacca Securities in a note today.

Among Bursa Malaysia's heavyweights, Public Bank trimmed 18 sen to RM16.62, Top Glove went down 20 sen to RM14.50, Maybank eased four sen to RM7.67, Petronas Chemicals was five sen easier to RM6.33 and Hartalega slipped 10 sen to RM11.40.

IHH Healthcare added two sen to RM5.42, MISC jumped 11 sen to RM7.91 while TNB and Maxis were flat at RM11.80 and RM5.33. 

Of the most actives, MQ Technology and Perak Transit gained one sen each to five sen and 19 sen, respectively, Eden rose three sen to 19 sen, KNM was flat at 25 sen, while ConnectCounty and PDZ edged down half-a-sen each to 34 sen and 3.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index went down 30.86 points at 10,551.01, the FBMT 100 Index decreased 33.03 points to 10,403.5 and the FBM 70 narrowed 12.53 points to 12,941.49.    

The FBM Emas Shariah Index was 20.55 points easier to 11,909.07, and the FBM ACE discounted 20.14 points to 5,885.26.   

Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index was lower by 0.20 of-a-point to 134.52, the Financial Services Index depreciated 63.49 points to 13,011.28, while the Plantation Index declined 21.98 points to 6,691.42. ― Bernama