KL shares close marginally higher on continued buying interest

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Shares on Bursa Malaysia closed marginally higher today, led by continued buying interest in heavyweights and penny stocks.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose two points to settle at 1,776.16, after hovering between 1,775.35 and 1,781.61 throughout the day.

The uptrend in Bursa Malaysia was also in tandem with most regional markets following positive US employment data.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.35 per cent to 23,207.04, and Singapore’s Straits Times 0.43 per cent to 3,207.89. But Japan’s Nikkei 225 was 0.26 per cent lower at 14,760.07.

Back home, the Industrial Index fell 3.98 points to 3,034.31 and the Plantation Index dipped 31.01 points to 8,318.74. The FBM Emas Index rose 17.42 points to 12,349.3 and the Finance Index gained 86.75 points to 16,577.82.

The FBMT100 added 17.18 points to 12,083.43, the FBM 70 Index perked 34.82 points to 14,049.23 and the FBM ACE Index improved 55.9 points to 5,571.17.

Gainers led losers 401 to 356, with 305 counters unchanged, 530 untraded and 26 others were suspended.

Heavyweights Maybank rose 9 sen to RM9.86, Axiata 6 sen to RM6.89 and CIMB 3 sen at RM7.77, but Sime Darby eased 1 sen to RM9.49.

Among actives, Silver Bird added 5 sen to 16 sen, Iris Corp 1.5 sen to 26.5 sen and China Stationery 0.5 sen to 23.5 sen. The Media Shoppe was flat at 18.5 sen.

Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd issued a query on unusual market activity to Hytex Integrated Bhd, which rose 2 sen to 32 sen. There has been a recent sharp rise in share price and volume of units traded.

Market turnover increased to 2.21 billion shares, worth RM1.60 billion, from 2.14 billion shares worth RM1.87 billion recorded yesterday.

Volume on the Main Market fell to 1.45 billion shares, valued at RM1.46 billion, from 1.61 billion shares, valued at RM1.74, registered yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE market rose to 713.76 million units, worth RM142.46 million, from yesterday’s 454.41 million units, worth RM124.33 million. Total warrants increased to 31.27 million units, worth RM2.93 million, from 68.75 million units, worth RM4.28 million.

Consumer products accounted for 266.93 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 222.11 million, construction 49.72 million, trade and services 371.40 million, technology 92.76 million, infrastructure 31.70 million, SPAC 163.23 million, finance 47.90 million, hotels 7.36 million, properties 189.24 million, plantations 13.98 million, mining 129,600, REITs 2.24 million, and closed/fund 4,700. — Bernama