KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened slightly higher today but eased thereafter owing to lack of buying momentum in the local market.
At 9.06am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 0.55 of a point lower at 1,853.33 after opening 0.74 of a point higher at 1,854.62.
Among its regional peers, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 1.94 per cent to 14,269.55, Singapore’s Straits Times was 0.25 per cent higher at 3,254.44 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.60 per cent to 22,671.26.
Asian equity markets are headed for a mixed start today ahead of China’s announcement this morning of its first-quarter gross domestic product, said JF Apex Research in a note today.
“We expect the KLCI to remain sideways around 1,850 points in the absence of a catalyst to retest its resistance of 1,882 points,” it added.
On the scoreboard, the Plantation Index rose 22.79 points to 8,976.54 but the Industrial Index eased 0.29 of a point to 3,199.91 and the Finance Index lost 15.64 points to 16,880.33.
The FBM Emas Index eased 2.49 points to 12,858.42, the FBMT100 Index slipped 4.28 points to 12,503.73, the FBM 70 decreased 7.01 points to 14,112.49 but the FBM Ace chalked up 30.97 points to 6,801.4.
Market breadth was positive, with gainers outnumbering losers 154 to 66, while 170 counters were unchanged, 1,237 untraded and 16 others were suspended.
Turnover stood at 128.775 million shares worth RM55.234 million.
Among actives, Zelan edged up 1.5 sen to 25.5 sen, Global Oriental rose 7 sen to RM1.10, Malton gained 3 sen to RM1.04 while PDZ Holdings and Talam Transform were flat at 15.5 sen and 10 sen respectively.
Heavyweights Public Bank and TNB were flat at RM19.78 and RM11.92 respectively while Maybank eased 1 sen to RM9.78 and CIMB was 2 sen lower at RM7.38. — Bernama
