KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 ― Bursa Malaysia pared earlier gains to close lower today weighed down by losses in heavyweights led by Maybank and Genting, amid profit-taking in small cap and penny stocks.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) stood at 1,678.06, down 3.54 points or 0.21 per cent, from yesterday's close of 1,681.60 after opening 5.02 points stronger at 1,686.62.
The index fluctuated between 1,675.73 and 1,688.00 throughout the day.
Losers led gainers 419 to 409 while 371 counters were unchanged, 514 untraded and 56 others suspended.
Volume rose to 1.997 billion units worth RM2.26 billion against yesterday's 1.486 billion units worth RM1.43 billion.
A dealer said investor anxiety was triggered by the expectations that the US Federal Reserve will raise its interest rates in September.
Another dealer said the weaker performance on the local equity market was due to weak sentiment with investors staying away ahead of the National Day celebration tomorrow.
On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index fell 7.35 points to 11,783.40, FBMT100 Index lost 8.18 points to 11,496.78 and the FBM Ace fell 53.64 points to 5,316.60.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index was 12.71 points higher at 12,430.50, the FBM 70 fell 48.72 points to 13,615.66.
Sector-wise, the Finance Index was 30.64 points lower at 14,428.02 but the Industrial Index gained 5.33 points to 3,151.07 and the Plantation Index rose 50.18 points at 7,836.84.
Of the heavyweights, Maybank fell eight sen to RM7.82, Genting lost 20 sen to RM7.80 and TNB decreased four sen to RM14.74.
Public Bank and Sime Darby gained two sen each to RM19.80 and RM7.89, respectively, while IHH Healthcare and CIMB were flat at RM6.54 and RM4.80, repectively.
Among actives, AirAsia X shed one sen to 37.5 sen, SapauraKencana slid six sen to RM1.58, MYEG increased 12 sen to RM2.19 and AirAsia gained one sen at RM3.00.
Main Market turnover rose to 1.15 billion shares worth RM2.14 billion from yesterday's 925.65 million shares worth RM1.35 billion.
The ACE Market volume increased to 442.73 million units valued at RM50.24 million from 242.55 million units valued at RM45.42 million.
Warrants swelled to 403.35 million shares worth RM66.46 million from 290.79 million shares worth RM37.73 million previously.
Consumer products accounted for 139.66 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (210.19 million), construction (75.64 million), trade and services (993.34 million), technology (25.19 million), infrastructure (46.29 million), SPAC (844,211), finance (380.45 million), hotels (293,451), properties (90.96 million), plantations (151.20 million), mining (16,940), REITs (32.47 million) and closed/fund (30,131). ― Bernama
