KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 ― Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session higher on sustained buying interest after FTSE Russell decided to keep Malaysia on its watch list.

At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 8.1 points, or 0.54 per cent, to 1,508.9 from yesterday’s close of 1,500.8.

It moved between 1,505.05 and 1,516.0 throughout the morning trading session, after opening 7.15 points higher at 1,507.95.

On the broader market, gainers surpassed losers 466 to 376, while 451 counters were unchanged, 788 untraded and 21 others suspended.

Total volume stood at 3.20 billion shares worth about RM2.34 billion.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank gained two sen to RM7.11, Top Glove jumped 12 sen to RM8.67, TNB appreciated eight sen to RM10.90, Public Bank added two sen to RM15.54 and Hartalega surged RM1 to RM16.90. 

Sime Darby Plantation was flat at RM5.05, IHH Healthcare fell two sen to RM5.23 and MISC declined eight sen to RM7.37.

Of the actives, Advance Synergy rose 2.0 sen to 19 sen, Sapura Energy and Pegasus Heights were flat at 11 sen and 2.5 sen, respectively, while MTouche edged down half-a-sen to six sen and Kanger International eased one sen to 22.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index increased 57.93 points to 10,827.43 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index strengthened 95.15 points to 12,925.17.

The FBM 70 rose 73.92 points to 13,991.94, the FBMT 100 Index was 56.97 points higher at 10,656.06 and the FBM ACE shed 120.32 point to 10,113.42.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index advanced 16.90 points to 12,352.34, the Plantation Index went down 24.18 points to 7,047.57 and the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.99 of-a-point to 133.19. ― Bernama