KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Bursa Malaysia was easier today opening and in line with the mixed trading session among other Asian markets, dealers said.
This is also ahead of a speech from US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Friday.
At 9.15 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 1.98 points lower at 1,685.70, against last Friday’s close of 1,687.68 points.
It opened 4.74 points lower at 1,682.94 at 9 am.
Gainers were slightly higher against losers at 150 to 119, while 207 counters were unchanged, 1,212 untraded and 15 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 143.62 million shares worth RM61.80 million.
Regionally, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was 9.89 points higher at 16,555.71, while the China’s SSE eased 0.01 of-a-point lower at 3,108.09.
A dealer said Yellen will speak at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Symposium at Jackson Hole in Wyoming.
“The yearly event is a function to announce some crucial policies to provide long term market guidelines,” the dealer said.
It was reported that the Jackson Hole setting will also be about the efficacy of the inflation targeting regime.
Among heavyweights, TNB fell six sen to RM14.74, Maybank, Public Bank and IHH were all flat at RM8.00, RM19.82 and RM6.67 respectively, while Petronas Chemicals was three sen better at RM6.60.
Of the actives, AirAsia X was flat at 46.5 sen, APFT rose half-a-sen to six sen, M3 Technologies (Asia) shed one sen to 12.5 sen and Dagang Nexchange inched up by half-a-sen to 24.5 sen.
The FBM Emas Index fell 10.35 points to 11,841.23, the FBMT 100 Index eased 9.03 points to 11.545.87, and the FBM Emas Syariah Index declined 15.53 points to 12,480.65.
The FBM 70 rose 5.81 points to 13,662.04 and the FBM Ace was 21.22 points higher at 5,595.79.
Sector-wise, the Finance Index depreciated 6.97 points to 14,475.53 and the Plantation Index dropped 18.14 points to 7,843.92.But, the Industrial Index was 6.05 points higher at 3,181.17. — Bernama
