KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Bursa Malaysia closed lower today, in line with the volatile regional markets, dragged by uncertainty over the US-China trade war.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM KLCI) ended 8.08 points lower at 1,600.53, its intraday high, after hitting a low of 1,590.51 earlier.
The market barometer opened 11.05 points lower at 1,598.28.
A dealer said Asian shares fell as the latest development in the US-China trade war shook confidence in the world economy and sent investors streaming to the safe harbour of sovereign bonds and the Japanese yen.
“The protracted US-China trade war continues to weigh on investors sentiment and pose a threat to global economic growth,” he said.
He added that it is now unlikely that the existing and planned trade restrictions would be removed any time soon, while other kinds of restrictions might also be introduced.
Regionally, the Shanghai Composite Index eased 1.17 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 1.91 per cent and Japan’s Nikkei 225 decreased 2.17 per cent.
On the local bourse, Maybank lost five sen to RM8.59, Public Bank eased two sen to RM20.80, TNB declined six sen to RM13.70 and Petronas Chemicals fell 31 sen to RM6.91.
IHH added two sen to RM5.70.
As for actives, DRB-Hicom fell 35 sen to RM2.60, Ekovest eased two sen to 82.5 sen and Sapura Energy and KNM slipped one sen each to 26.5 sen and 35.5 sen respectively.
Vsolar was flat at 13.5 sen.
On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index went down 83.30 points to 11,302.85, the FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased 111.62 points to 11,812.57 and the FBMT 100 Index was 80.99 points lower at 11,138.34.
The FBM Ace declined 39.98 points to 4,513.65 and the FBM 70 dwindled 183.5 points to 13,996.95.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index weakened 29.43 points to 15,625.9, the Plantation Index contracted 43.61 points to 6,798.08 and the Industrial Products and Services Index was 3.4 points lower at 147.17.
Market breadth was negative as losers outpaced gainers 539 to 220, with 461 counters unchanged, 746 untraded and 14 others suspended.
Turnover was higher at 2.21 billion units worth RM1.81 billion from Friday’s 2.01 billion units worth RM1.74 billion.
Main Market volume decreased to 1.30 billion shares valued at RM1.60 billion from Friday’s 1.38 billion shares valued at RM1.60 billion.
Warrants turnover rose to 635 million units worth RM150.4 million from 369.33 million units worth RM82.98 million previously.
Volume on the ACE Market declined to 272.47 million shares valued at RM59.46 million from 354.58 million shares valued at RM54.87 million.
Consumer products and services accounted for 311.2 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (175.8 million), construction (121.61 million), technology (111.91 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (33.5 million), property (139.56 million), plantations (20.42 million), REITs (12.32 million), closed/fund (19,000), energy (285.95 million), healthcare (12.23 million), telecommunications and media (37.96 million), transportation and logistics (18.31 million), and utilities (22.39 million). — Bernama
