KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 ― Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session lower on concerns over weaker earnings and global growth despite optimism for the resumption of the US-China trade talks.
At 12.30pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 2.33 points lower at 1,588.51 compared with yesterday’s close of 1,590.84.
It opened 0.45 point lower at 1,590.39.
A dealer said the market, for a brief period of time, managed to break into the positive territory but failed to maintain the momentum due to weak sentiment.
“The lower liners and broader market shares also remain skittish as most retail players remain wary of the ongoing market conditions that will keep them on the sidelines for (much) longer,” he said.
Among heavyweights, Maybank and IHH lost one sen each to RM8.54 and RM5.72, respectively, while TNB perked eight sen to RM13.68.
Public Bank and Petronas chemicals were flat at RM20.36 and RM6.88, respectively.
As for the actives, KNM, Iris and MNC Wireless were flat at 38.5 sen, 16 sen and nine sen, respectively.
AirAsia X slipped half-a-sen to 18 sen and DRB-Hicom lost eight sen to RM2.49.
The FBM Emas Index contracted 13.859 points to 11,214.45 and the FBMT 100 Index decreased 11.9 points to 11,050.79 but the FBM Emas Shariah Index expanded 19.38 points to 11,760.3.
The FBM Ace erased 13.82 points to 4,479.15 but the FBM 70 was 2.96 points higher at 13,870.9.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index fell 88.859 points to 15,381.32, the Industrial Products and Services Index was lower by 0.07 of-a-point at 147.03 and the Plantation Index eased 9.76 points to 6,761.62.
On the broader market, losers surpassed gainers 441 to 215, while 353 counters remained unchanged, 968 untraded and 14 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 962.71 million units worth RM638.7 million. ― Bernama
