KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Bursa Malaysia ended on a firm note across the board, tracking the gains on regional bourses, amid optimism on the latest round of the US-China trade negotiation, said a dealer.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 10.75 points to 1,567.59 from last Friday’s 1,556.84.
The index, which opened 5.81 points higher at 1,562.65, moved between 1,562.65 and 1,568.96 throughout the day.
Market breadth was positive as gainers led losers 487 to 367, with 407 counters unchanged, 737 untraded and 42 others suspended.
Turnover widened to 2.99 billion shares worth RM1.84 billion from 2.33 billion shares worth RM1.6 billion last Friday.
Regionally, Japan’s Nikkei improved 1.15 per cent to 21,798.87, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index increased 0.81 per cent to 26,578.41, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.37 per cent to 3,125.16.
A dealer said Bursa Malaysia’s equity stayed firm for the whole trading session tracking the gains on regional markets, lifted by positive market sentiment.
Equity markets worldwide were in the black since last Friday with much of the positive vibes stoked by the latest high-level trade talks between the US and China, while foreign investors took a breather from selling activities.
“The latest negotiations between the world’s two largest economies were ‘constructive’ with a truce in US-China year-long trade war last Friday with the US suspending a tariff escalation due this week on US$250 billion (RM1 trillion) of Chinese exports set for US shores as part of a ‘phase one’ trade accord,” the dealer said.
Locally, the market saw active trading activities with the broader market shares and the lower liners firmed- up further, he said.
“The FBM Small Cap index has perked up which we see continuing over the near term. We also think that technology stocks will also make further headway as technology and construction stocks are seen as the major beneficiaries of the 2020 Budget,” he added.
Among heavyweights, Maybank rose nine sen to RM8.53, Public Bank gained eight sen to RM19.16, Petronas Chemicals increased five sen to RM7.28, IHH Healthcare rose 12 sen to RM5.77, while Tenaga slipped eight sen to RM13.82.
Of the most actives, NetX Holdings edged up half-a-sen to 2.5 sen, Green Packet’s warrant improved two sen to 31.5 sen, while Bumi Armada and I-Stone added three sen each to 41.5 sen.and 22.5.
Debutant AME Elite rose 20 sen to RM1.50, but Sapura Energy eased half-a-sen to 26.5 sen
The FBM Emas Index increased 73.20 points to 11,151.01, the FBMT 100 Index gained 72.55 points to 10,967.99 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 66.56 points to 11,782.93.
The FBM 70 rose 81.77 points to 14,025.74 and the FBM Ace advanced 30.07 points to 4,649.20.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 143.59 points to 15,133.92, the Plantation Index was 59.34 points higher at 6,600.23, and the Industrial Products & Services Index was 0.45 of-a-point better at 150.88.
Main Market volume increased to 1.82 billion units worth RM1.61 billion from last Friday’s 1.44 billion units worth RM1.4 billion.
Warrants turnover narrowed to 359.01 million units worth RM61.99 million from 464.37 million units worth RM76.03 million previously.
Volume on the ACE Market widened to 816.07 million shares worth RM174.32 million from 427.27 million shares worth RM125.42 million last Friday.
Consumer products and services accounted for 188.14 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (204.38 million), construction (205.39 million), technology (159.13 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (36.34 million), property (114.57 million), plantations (20.02 million), REITs (11.30 million), closed/fund (17,100), energy (595.76 million), healthcare (14.05 million), telecommunications and media (224.50 million), transportation and logistics (29.94 million), and utilities (13.36 million). — Bernama
