KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Bursa Malaysia resumed the afternoon session lower, with the key index remaining below the 1,500 level, as weak market sentiment curbed investors’ risk appetite.

At 3pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 9.68 points to 1,490.58 from yesterday’s close of 1,500.26.

The overall market breadth was negative with decliners hammering gainers 666 versus 283, while 394 counters were unchanged, 849 untraded and nine others suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.5 billion units worth RM1.47 billion.

A dealer said sentiment was weighed by concerns over the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus and the latest political development in the country.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank, Public Bank and CIMB eased four sen each to RM8.01, RM3.96 and RM4.50 respectively, while Petronas Chemicals and IHH shed five sen each to RM8.00 and RM5.72 respectively.

Tenaga Nasional, however, gained two sen to RM9.75.

Among the actives, Dagang Nexchange bagged four sen to 76 sen, Advance Synergy was flat at 16.5 sen, Saudee inched down half-a-sen to 10 sen, Serba Dinamik added 1.5 sen to 42 sen, while Seal added five sen to 44 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 69.67 points lower at 10,954.75, the FBMT 100 Index fell 69.81 points to 10,667.03, the FBM 70 declined 97.31 points to 14,555.48, the FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 69.73 points to 12,034.55, and the FBM ACE decreased 69.58 points to 7,048.15.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index contracted 95.53 points to 14,696.13, the Plantation Index gave up 31.12 points for 6,056.97, while the Industrial Products and Services Index slipped 1.32 points to 187.24.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Connectcounty Holdings Bhd announced that its securities would be traded and quoted under the new name of Waja Konsortium Bhd with effect from 9am, August 9, 2021. — Bernama