KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 ― Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened lower this morning as worries over China's economic growth sapped investor confidence.
At 9.15 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) contracted 0.04 point to 1,667.93, after opening lower at 1,663.36.
On the broader market, losers led gainers 172 to 165, with 216 counters unchanged, 1,169 untraded and 11 others suspended.
Turnover only amounted to 196.96 million shares worth RM102.84 million.
Most regional and local stocks were also lower due to anxiety over rising geo-political tensions in the Middle East and the Chinese economy.
Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 66.36 points to 18,124.96, Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 197.17 points to 20,783.64, and Singapore's Straits Times was down 14.60 points to 2,789.84.
On the scoreboards, the FBM Emas Index was 4.48 points down to 11,691.25, the FBMT100 Index eased 2.31 points to 11,358.56 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 8.68 points to 12,699.55.
The FBM Ace gained 2.25 points to 6,367.13 and the FBM 70 was down 10.05 points to 13,203.26.
On a sectoral basis, the Finance Index declined 11.17 points to 13,998.34, the Plantation Index slid 45.23 points to 7,688.21 and the Industrial Index inched up 0.90 point to 3,227.29.
Among top losers, IJM Plantations dropped 18 sen to RM3.48, Hong Leong fell 11 sen to RM5.84, Boustead eased nine sen to RM4.20 and IOI Corp weakened eight sen to RM4.42.
For the heavyweights, Maybank recovered one sen to RM8.34, TNB was flat at RM13.20 and Public Bank gave up two sen for RM18.32. — Bernama
