KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Bursa Malaysia improved slightly at mid-morning cushioned by mild buying, especially in healthcare-linked counters like Hartalega and Top Glove.

Altogether, these two counters contributed 10.35 points to the composite index, and besides the healthcare stocks, finance-linked company Hong Leong Bank and telecommunication-linked company TM helped lifted the index after it recorded losses at the opening today.

At 11.22am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) went up 2.74 points to 1,518.14 from yesterday’s close of 1,515.40.

The barometer index opened 10.78 points lower at 1,504.62.

Of the heavyweights, besides the four counters trading higher, six counters are flat while the remaining 20 counters are trading on a downtrend.

On the overall market, losers doubled gainers 621 to 302, while 399 counters were unchanged, 704 untraded and 37 others suspended.

Trading volume stood at 3.61 billion shares worth RM1.91 billion.

Among the actives, XOX rose one sen to 24 sen, AE Multi gained 3.5 sen to 20.5 sen and K-One Technology was five sen higher at 46 sen.

Of the top losers, Carlsberg Brewery shrank 82 sen to RM19.88, Heineken Malaysia lost 52 sen to RM19.90 and Malaysian Pacific Industries erased 48 sen to RM18.

The healthcare sector topped the gaining counters, with Hartalega increasing 80 sen to RM14.66 while Top Glove rose 30 sen to RM8.67 and Kossan Rubber was 24 sen higher at RM14.24.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank was flat at RM7.21, Tenaga eased four sen to RM11, Public Bank slipped 10 sen to RM16 while IHH was seven sen weaker at RM5.21.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index declined 13.49 points to 10,998.75, the FBMT 100 Index inched down 5.7 points to 10,802.64 and the FBM 70 depreciated 105.67 points to 14,502.88.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index added 4.64 points to 13,064.13 while the FBM ACE rose 26.14 points to 10,876.83.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index gave up 40.47 points to 12,607.19, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.84 point to 136.66 and the Plantation Index was 21.62 points weaker at 7,106.24. — Bernama