KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Bursa Malaysia opens higher today lifted by buying interest in heavyweights, while tracking last Friday’s positive Wall Street and regional performances, dealers said.

At 9.05am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 11.32 points to 1,694.85 from last Friday’s close of 1,683.53.

The index opened 15.44 points higher at 1,698.97.

Market breadth was positive with gainers outpacing losers 146 to 65, while 153 counters were unchanged, 1,490 untraded and 24 others suspended.

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Turnover was at 75.58 million shares worth RM43.88 million.

Public Investment Bank Bhd in a note last Friday said Wall Street had initially pushed higher after the latest US jobs report showed non-farm payrolls increased by 304,000 jobs last month, far exceeding expectations.

“However, analysts did point out that the figures may have been distorted by the government shutdown, and also noted that December’s payrolls increase had been revised down sharply,” it said.

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Meanwhile, the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index staged a solid rebound in January following the previous month’s steep decline.

On the home front, heavyweights, Maybank and IHH Healthcare added six sen each to RM9.60 and RM5.66, respectively, Public Bank improved 14 sen to RM24.92, Tenaga rose 18 sen to RM13.08 and Petronas Chemicals increased five sen to RM8.50.

Of the most actives, Bumi Armada, Iris Corporation and London Biscuits advanced half-a-sen each to 20.5 sen, 13.5 sen and 60 sen respectively, Bio Osmo increased one sen to six sen and Sapura Energy declined half-a-sen to 26 sen.

The FBM Emas Index was 65.26 points better at 11,725.88, the FBMT 100 Index gained 68.88 points to 11,614.09 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index 66.46 points to 11,619.07.

The FBM Ace Index added 37.91 points to 4,440.01 and the FBM 70 bagged 46.36 points to 13,863.57.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index improved 105.96 points to 17,620.94, the Plantation Index increased 18.79 points to 7,299.03 and the Industrial Products and Services Index was 0.75 of-a-point firmer at 161.86. — Bernama