KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Bursa Malaysia ended the last trading day of the month with a paltry loss after the key index swung between gains and losses as investors seemed to trade cautiously ahead of the release of the US and China’s Purchasing Managers' Indices (PMI).

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 1.31 points to 1,454.19 from Monday’s closing of 1,455.50.

The index opened 0.99 of a point higher at 1,456.49 and moved between 1,452.43 and 1,458.97 throughout the day.

Market breadth was negative with decliners thumping advancers 739 to 255, while 307 counters were unchanged, 946 untraded, and 55 others suspended.

Turnover, however, soared to 4.63 billion units worth RM3.95 billion from Monday's 3.09 billion units worth RM2.19 billion.

Investors are awaiting the US consumer confidence data, wholesale inventories, and Chicago PMI tonight, and China's official February and Caixin manufacturing PMIs due Wednesday, for fresh clues on the world's two largest economies' economic trajectories.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI remained stuck in a consolidation mode due to a lack of clear direction among investors.

"The key regional indices are also in a similar pattern as fears of rising US interest rates continued to batter regional sentiment.

"Additionally, investor sentiment has also been weighed down by rising geopolitical tension, with US-China relations the dominant uncertainty at the forefront of investor minds," he told Bernama.

Sentiment in the Chinese equities market has turned hesitant over the republic's economic recovery, with investors now turning to the "two sessions” meeting in Beijing, China from March 4 in hopes of more policy stimulus.

Among the heavyweights, Tenaga Nasional fell 27 sen to RM9.37, Petronas Dagangan dipped 96 sen to RM21.02, Maxis was nine sen weaker at RM3.91, while Sime Darby Plantation and Dialog dropped seven sen to RM4.23 and RM2.25 respectively.

CIMB climbed seven sen to RM5.61 while Maybank rose five sen to RM8.80.

As for active stocks, Velesto lost 8.5 sen to 19 sen, Hartalega went down eight sen to RM1.47, Gamuda was flat at RM4.20, and Pharmaniaga tumbled 17 sen to 27 sen. — Bernama