KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — Bursa Malaysia opened higher on continued buying interest.
At 9.07am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was up 2.83 points at 1,724.17 from 1,721.92 yesterday.
The index opened 0.53 of-a-point better at 1,722.45.
Market breath was positive as gainers outpaced decliners 210 to 100 with 242 counters unchanged, 1,161 untraded and 23 others were suspended.
Turnover stood at 425.60 million shares worth RM117.75 million.
Maybank Investment Bank, in its note today, said the index was lifted by late buying support yesterday.
“With the emergence of buying interest, the FBMKLCI is set to test its immediate resistance at 1,730 in the near-term and the benchmark could range between 1,715 and 1,735 today,” the bank said, adding that plantation stocks would gain strong buying momentum today.
The FBM Emas Index rose 23.95 points to 12,194.20, the FBMT 100 Index gained 27.62 points to 11,859.93 while the FBM Emas Shariah Index was 12.03 points higher at 12,599.23.
The FBM 70 added 16.71 points to 14,171.09 and the FBM Ace was 13.69 points better at 5,333.84.
Sector-wise, the Plantation Index increased 43.29 points to 8,159.27, Finance Index advanced 55.84 points to 15,505.77 and the Industrial Index inched up 0.75 of-a-point to 3,247.57.
Among heavyweights, Maybank rose five sen to RM8.85, Public Bank gained two sen to RM19.88, while both Tenaga and Sime Darby were flat at RM13.78 and RM9.13, respectively.
Actively-traded stocks included Borneo Oil and Luster Industries which improved 1.5 sen each to 18.5 sen and 11 sen, respectively, while Pan Malaysia added two sen to 17 sen but Johan Holdings was flat at 22 sen. — Bernama
