Share prices close lower in tandem with weaker regional markets

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed lower today in line with the weaker sentiment in regional markets.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) erased 24.48 points or 1.40 per cent to 1,720.37 after moving between 1,710.17 and 1,729.46 throughout the day.

Asian markets were mostly lower with Japan’s Nikkei 225 declining 0.44 per cent to 13,365.17 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.47 per cent to 3,094.35. 

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index went up 0.36 per cent to 21,895.40.

Losers hammered gainers 904 to 76, with 184 counters were unchanged, 421 untraded and 18 others were suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.434 billion shares, worth RM3.442 billion, against 1.581 billion shares worth RM2.337 billion, transacted yesterday.

On Bursa Malaysia, the Finance Index slipped 250.40 points to 16,201.96, the Industrial Index eased 30.87 points to 2,917.19 and the Plantation Index slipped 93.3 points to 8,091.61.

The FBM Emas Index declined 191.72 points to 11,966.08, the FBM 70 Index dipped 278.49 points to 13,623.7 and the FBM ACE Index was 120.23 points lower at 5,227.52.

Among actives, The Media Shoppe was flat at nine sen, MAS shed two sen to 32.5 sen, Flonic Hi-Tec eased 1.5 sen to 16.5 sen and Daya Materials dipped one sen to 33.5 sen.

Of heavyweights, Maybank lost 13 sen to RM9.87, Cimb shed six sen to RM7.56, SapuraKencana Petroleum was eight sen lower at RM3.64 and Axiata fell seven sen to RM6.58.

Volume on the Main Market rose to 1.941 million units, worth RM3.354 billion, from 1.216 billion units, worth RM2.276 billion, recorded yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE market increased to 424.924 million shares, valued at RM79.80 million from Yesterday’s 315.044 million shares valued at RM55.776 million.

Warrants appreciated to 65.603 million shares, worth RM7.163 million, from   48.545 million shares, worth RM4.995 million, registered yesterday.

Consumer products accounted for 84.418 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 225.649 million, construction 85.332 million, trade and services 912.987 million, technology 58.496 million, infrastructure 37.039 million, SPAC 175.374 million, finance 134.173 million, hotels 2.04 million, properties 173.205 million, plantations 30.201 million, mining 162,900, REITs 21.903 million and closed/fund 77,500. — Bernama