KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 ― Bursa Malaysia traded sideways at mid-morning today ahead of the weekend amid caution over the progress of the US-China trade talks and slowdown in trading momentum on small caps.
At 11am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 2.45 points to 1,572.05, from yesterday’s close of 1,574.50.
The benchmark index opened 1.78 points easier at 1,572.72.
A dealer said the local bourse continued yesterday’s momentum, which saw range-bound trading on blue-chips, as uncertainty over a firm US-China trade and Brexit deals ahead of the deadline kept investors sidelined, while buying momentum on small caps wavered.
Among heavyweights, Maybank added two sen to RM8.54 and Petronas Chemicals gained one sen to RM7.35.
IHH lost eight sen to RM5.66 while TNB and Public Bank were flat at RM13.76 and RM19.28, respectively.
Of the most active, KNM and Bumi Armada added one sen each to 45.5 sen and 45 sen, respectively, and MyEG climbed three sen to RM1.28.
MNC Wireless and Sapura Energy were flat at 2.5 sen and 27.5 sen, respectively.
The FBM Emas Index decreased 11.109 points to 11,198.66, the FBMT 100 Index shed 13.39 points to 11,012.15 and the FBM 70 reduced 1.87 points to 14,135.3.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index was 17.479 points lower at 11,823.15 and the FBM Ace decreased 2.07 points to 4,792.59.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index rose 10.061 points to 15,231.57, while the Plantation Index fell 49.1 points to 6,671.05 and the Industrial Products & Services Index was 0.06 of-a-point easier at 152.32.
On the broader market, losers led gainers 306 to 284, with 321 counters unchanged, 1,092 untraded and 14 others suspended.
Turnover amounted to 1.15 billion shares worth RM599 million. ― Bernama
