KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended today’s trading weaker on profit-taking activities after yesterday’s gains, dealers said.

The FBM KLCI lost 7.45 points to close at 1,716.76, with the key index moving between 1,702.57 and 1,725.55 throughout the day.

It opened 1.34 points better at 1,725.55.

Affin Investment Bank Vice-President Dr Nazri Khan said the market was prepared to test the 1,700 level before the fresh buying support.

“This is the second time attempt after recent losses. Usually, the market will be tested twice before it can bounce back,” said Nazri Khan, who is also the bank’s Retail Research Head, told Bernama today.

Regionally, investors are still awaiting for the outcome of the quantitative easing meeting by the Federal Reserve in the next two weeks, he said.

On the regional market, the sentiments were mixed, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipping 161.52 points to 22,233.06, while Japan’s Nikkei rose 75.43 points to 14,053.87, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index shed 33.32 points to 3,021.46.

Among actives, Integrated Rubber Corp gained 4.5 sen to 35 sen, China Stationery eased half a sen to 23 sen, while The Media Shoppe and Malaysia Airlines were flat at 9.5 sen and 32.5 sen, respectively.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank lost 19 sen to RM9.83, CIMB lost two sen to RM7.17, Sime Darby added two sen to RM9.42 while Axiata was flat at RM6.75.

Losers trounced gainers 431 to 277, with 291 counters unchanged, 566 untraded and 13 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 1.47 billion shares worth RM1.81 billion against 1.36  billion shares worth RM1.51 billion yesterday.

On the scoreboard, the Plantation Index erased 26.6 points to 8,134.33, the Industrial Index earned 0.27 of a point to 2,889.1 and the Finance Index fell 112.28 points to 16,046.47.

The FBM Emas Index was 46.29 points weaker at 11,909.61, the FBMT100 declined 46.23 points to 11,671.85, the FBM 70 Index erased 35.42 points to 13,539.86 and the FBM ACE Index slipped 13.69 points to 4,893.48.

Volume on the Main Market rose to 1.12 billion units worth RM1.75 billion from 962.75 million units worth RM1.45 billion yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE market fell to 225.84 million shares valued at RM51.31 million from 246.51 million shares worth RM49 million yesterday.

Warrants advanced to 55.25 million units worth RM4.87 million from 36.13  million units worth RM3.77 million yesterday.

Consumer products accounted for 263.87 million shares on the Main Market; industrial products 266.12 million; construction 61.18 million; trade and services 342.92 million; technology 37.32 million; infrastructure 24.11 million;

SPAC 56.09 million; finance 63.37 million; hotels 380,400; properties 84.54 million; plantations 11.67 million; mining 55,000; REITs 4.72 million; and closed/fund 6,000. — Bernama