KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 ― The FBM KLCI continued its upward momentum to stay higher at midafternoon in sync with the regional markets’ upbeat performance.

At 3.01pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) increased 8.30 points to 1,555.90 from yesterday’s close of 1,547.60.

The benchmark index opened 2.08 of-a-point weaker at 1,545.52.

However, in the broader market, losers surpassed gainers 596 to 427, while 414 counters were unchanged, 872 untraded and 47 others suspended.

Turnover amounted to 2.63 billion units worth RM1.83 billion.

Bursa Malaysia heavyweights CIMB added one sen to RM6.44, Tenaga Nasional gained eight sen to RM11.44, Petronas Chemicals lost 11 sen to RM6.88, while Maybank and Public Bank were flat at RM9.51 and RM4.46 respectively.

Of the actives, Hong Seng Consolidated and TWL Holdings inched up half-a-sen to 2.5 sen and four sen respectively, PUC went up one sen to 5.5 sen, YTL Corporation gained 20 sen to RM2.70, but Cape EMS was 18 sen lower to 95 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index improved 41.44 points to 11,538.72, the FBMT 100 Index rose 46.28 points to 11,194.97, the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 35.12 points to 11,565.04, the FBM 70 Index perked 8.72 points to 15,516.45, while the FBM ACE Index lost 48.26 points to 4,797.54.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index was 3.46 points lower to 17,315.95, the Industrial Products and Services Index shed 0.92 of-a-point to 177.01 and the Energy Index went down 6.43 points to 929.80.

However, the Plantation Index gained 23.85 points to 7,183.54 and the Utilities Index added 31.39 points to 1,611.60. ― Bernama