KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Shares on Bursa Malaysia closed lower today, dampened by weak sentiment across the region as the intractable US-Sino trade spat drags on, dealers said.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) finished 7.00 points lower at 1,643.74 compared with yesterday’s close of 1,650.74.
The barometer index, which opened 6.66 points lower at 1,644.08 this morning, moved between 1,640.30 and 1,646.22 throughout the day.
However, market breadth was positive as gainers led losers 397 to 380, while 393 counters were unchanged, 718 untraded and 30 others suspended.
Turnover increased to 2.04 billion units worth RM1.98 billion from 1.76 billion units valued at RM1.60 billion recorded yesterday.
A dealer said Bursa Malaysia was in the red territory for the whole trading session today, dragged by losses in index-linked stocks led by Tenaga and Genting Bhd which contributed a combined 3.12 points to the fall in the composite index.
Asian shares were traded mostly lower tracking the overnight decline on Wall Street amid prolonged uncertainties over the US-China trade dispute, with fears the issue might linger into the upcoming G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan later this month with President Donald Trump expected to ramp up his tariff rhetoric, he said.
Meanwhile, oil prices flirted with five-month lows due to higher US crude inventories, with the bleak demand outlook also contributed to the weak sentiment, he added
Regionally, the Singapore Straits Times Index bagged 0.22 per cent to 3,214.95, Japan’s Nikkei was 0.46 per cent easier at 21,032, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.05 per cent to 27,294.71, South Korean Kospi shed 0.27 per cent to 2,103.15 and Shanghai’s SSE edged up 0.05 per cent to 2,910.74.
Among heavyweights, Maybank was four sen lower at RM8.96, Public Bank declined six sen at RM23.42, Tenaga fell 22 sen to RM12.32 and Petronas Chemicals slid two sen to RM8.31.
CIMB added two sen to RM5.32.
Of the actively-traded stocks, ACE market debutant Greatech rose 13 sen to 74 sen, Sapura Energy increased 1.5 sen to 31.5 sen, Ekovest added one sen to 84 sen, Iskandar Waterfront gained two sen to 99 sen, while Priceworth International eased half-a-sen to 6.5 sen.
The FBM Emas Index fell 22.33 points to 11,608.58, the FBMT 100 Index decreased 26.92 points to 11,454.24 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 11.08 points to 11,833.99.
The FBM Ace fell 24.41 points to 4,424.54, but the FBM 70 jumped 54.23 points to 14,458.23.
Sector-wise, the Plantation Index gained 12.43 points to 6,880.78, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.39 of-a-point to 160.64, but the Financial Services Index was 29.86 points lower at 16,806.35.
Main Market volume increased to 1.18 billion shares valued at RM1.69 billion from 1.05 billion shares worth RM1.45 billion yesterday.
Warrants turnover improved to 483.19 million units valued at RM111.76 million from 443.93 million units worth RM97.72 million.
Volume on the ACE Market surged to 370.23 million shares valued at RM176.86 million from 260.60 million shares worth RM54.77 million yesterday.
Consumer products and services accounted for 159.09 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (233.35 million), construction (151.69 million), technology (84.72 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (38.98 million), property (103.97 million), plantation (10.98 million), REITs (12.83 million), closed/fund (14,300), energy (289.40 million), healthcare (15.44 million), telecommunications and media (42.15 million), transportation and logistics (21.55 billion), and utilities (20.40 million). — Bernama
