KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were traded lower in the early session today on lack of buying interest and in tandem with the bearish performance of the Wall Street, dealers said.

At 9.10am, the benchmark index fell 4.54 points to 1,771.62 after opening 0.88 of a point lower at 1,775.28.

Losers thumped gainers 143 to 99, with 155 counters unchanged, 1,196 untraded and 26 others suspended.

Trading stood at 168.55 million shares worth RM54.31 million.          

HwangDBS Vickers Research said investors are closely monitoring the progress by the US lawmakers to resolve the ongoing budget talks.

“Reflecting the cautiousness, key stock indices on Wall Street lost between 0.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent on Friday,” it said in a note today.

Back home, the research house said the benchmark FBM KLCI would probably face continued selling pressure today.

“On the chart, the bellwether may pull back towards the immediate support level of 1,750,” it added.

It said stocks that may add interest today are Green Packet after a business weekly reported that its 55 per cent-owned mobile broadband service provider, Packet One, is close to be sold to DiGi.Com for RM1 billion.

Others are Boustead Holdings following its acquisition of leasehold 2,410 hectares of plantation land in Sabah for RM185 million cash and Multi-Code, which has secured contracts to supply parking sensors for Perodua’s new car model that would contribute additional revenue of RM35 million over a seven-year period.

On Bursa Malaysia, the Industrial Index lost 11.34 points to 3,022.97, the Finance Index fell 46.44 points to 16,531.38, while the Plantation Index rose 6.97 points to 8,325.71.   

The FBM Emas Index erased 25.44 points to 12,323.86, the FBM100 Index was 23.06 points lower at 12,060.37, and the FBM Ace declined 7.42 points to 5,563.75, while the FBM 70 gained 5.56 points to 14,054.79.

Among actives, Silver Bird fell two sen to 14 sen, The Media Shoppe was flat at 18.5 sen and Nextnation Communication rose half-a-sen to 9.5 sen.

Heavyweights, Maybank lost 10 sen to RM9.85, CIMB lost five sen to RM7.59 and Axiata rose one sen to RM6.90. – Bernama