KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 ― The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended the morning session 6.01 points or 0.36 per cent easier at 1,624.37, dragged down by losses in trade and services counters led by Genting Malaysia.

The key index hit a high of 1,629.88 after sliding to a low of 1,623.61 in the morning session.

On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers by 358 to 246 with 315  counters unchanged, 812 untraded and 42 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 750.77 million shares worth RM516.41 million.              

Among the losers in the heavyweight counters, Genting Malaysia went down nine sen to RM4.63, TNB and Petronas Chemicals were down six sen to RM14.14 and RM6.84,respectively, Axiata dropped five sen to RM4.43 and Maybank erased two sen to RM7.66.

Among the actives, Green Packet gained 1.5 sen to 10 sen, APFT was unchanged at seven sen, Bumi Armada lost 3.5 sen to 56.5 sen while FGV added three sen to RM1.58.

Indices of Asian stock markets were mixed on Thursday, after a strong US dollar and a rally in Wall Street's performance bolstered expectations of an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve in December.

“In addition, the struggle faced by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on the oil output freeze has led to the decline in the benchmark Brent Crude Oil price, which is now traded at US$48.95, down by 0.35 per cent,” a dealer said.

On regional markets, South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index fell 0.77 per cent to 1,973.06, Singapore's Straits Times slipped 0.12 per cent to 2,836.29 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng went down 0.01 per cent to 22,676.69.

 On the local scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index lost 45.35 points to 11,418.53, the FBMT100 Index declined 45.52 points to 11,134.94 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index shed 46.10 points to 12,013.46.

Meanwhile, the FBM 70 depreciated 69.68 points to 13,209.23 and the FBM Ace fell 37.87 points to 4,929.78.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index lost 40.90 points to 14,113.36, the Industrial Index shed 4.45 points to 3,075.52 but the Plantation Index gained 7.76 points to 7,687.36. ― Bernama