KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — Bursa Malaysia’s blue chips managed to recoup some of their early losses to end higher at mid-day, lifted by some buying interest.
At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was up 1.11 points to 1,633.35 from Thursday’s close of 1,632.24.
After opening 0.71 of-a-point lower at 1,631.53, the benchmark index moved between 1,625.56 and 1,634.01.
On the broader market, losers led gainers 368 to 310 with 364 counters unchanged, 863 untraded and 18 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 1.51 billion shares worth RM918.22 million.
Dealers said the market sentiments were also lifted by the report on the higher export growth.
Based on the data released by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI), Malaysia recorded the highest month-on-month export growth since April 2010 when exports in March this year grew by 26.2 per cent while total trade surged by 25.9 per cent.
It said the imports and trade surplus expanded by 25.4 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, with higher trade registered with China, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Australia and the United States.
Regionally, the market traded mostly lower as investors remained cautious ahead of the US non-farm payrolls data which is due later today to give market direction over the path of US interest rates.
Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index reduced 1.37 per cent to 6,286.85, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.83 per cent to 29,944.18 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index eased 0.32 per cent to 3,382.61.
Among the heavyweights’ counters, Maybank rose one sen to RM9.26, Public Bank and TNB were two sen lower at RM22.46 and RM12.26 respectively.
CIMB Group remained flat at RM5.23.
Of the actively-traded stocks, Ekovest was 4.5 sen higher at 87 sen, Impiana Hotels added half-a-sen to five sen and Iskandar Waterfront rose 5.5 sen to RM1.00.
For the gainers, United Plantation increased 40 sen to RM26.60, Nestle gained 20 sen to RM146.50 and Hong Leong Industries improved eight sen to RM10.64.
The FBM Emas Index rose 7.64 points to 11,581.29, the FBMT 100 Index was 6.44 points better at 11,401.38 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index up 16.30 points to 11,741.68.
The FBM 70 added 2.83 points to 14,470.52 and the FBM Ace added 22.78 points to 4,626.91.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index fell 10.65 points to 16,904.07, the Plantation Index rose 13.54 points to 7,219.47 and the Industrial Products & Services Index was 0.11 point lower at 168.97. — Bernama
