KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 ― Share prices opened marginally higher today on mild buying demand and in line with the performance of Asian equities markets.
At 9.00am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 1.53 points better at 1,642.9, compared with yesterday's close of 1,649.37 and continued the uptrend 35 minutes into trading.
As at 9.35am, the benchmark index stood at 1,644.67, up by 3.3 points.
Market breadth was positive with gainers outpacing losers 266 to 139, with 236 counters unchanged, 1,081 untraded and 18 others suspended.
Turnover amounted to 275.6 million shares worth RM146.36 million.
A dealer said the market started off the day on a cautious note, given mixed external factors as Asian shares eking out gains and creeping off four-year lows, coupled with weakening oil prices, which fell below US$30 a barrel.
Leading the top losers list was Petron, which fell 27 sen to RM6.74 and PPB Group, down 24 sen to RM15.74.
For the top gainers, United U-Li increased 22 sen to RM5.39 and Amway rose 21 sen to RM9.39.
Among heavyweights, Maybank added 5.0 sen to RM8.37, TNB was flat at RM13.02, while Public Bank and Petronas Chemicals improved 12 sen each to RM18.32 and RM7.47.
Among actives, Borneo Oil gained half-a-sen to R15.5 sen, Tiger Synergy rose a sen to 8.0 sen and JAG was unchanged at 11.5 sen.
On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index was 24.01 points better at 11,534.74, the FBMT100 Index increased 20.72 points to 11,197.84, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 7.73 points to 12,499.79.
The FBM Ace improved 24 points to 6,255.31 and the FBM 70 was 17.87 points higher at 13,008.03.
On a sectoral basis, the Finance Index increased 54.1 points to 13,845.14 and the Plantation Index rose 24.45 points to 7,574.85.But, the Industrial Index fell 12 points to 3,180.6. ― Bernama
