KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Bursa Malaysia were mixed at mid-day with investors appearing to favour the lower liner and small market-capitalisation stocks compared with big-cap stocks amid external uncertainties.
At 12.30pm, key index FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) lost 0.95 per cent or 12.78 points to 1,338.11 from 1,350.89 at yesterday’s close.
The key index opened 5.99 points lower at 1,344.90 and moved between 1,332,70 and 1,344.90 throughout the morning session.
Market breadth, however, was positive as gainers outpaced losers 541 to 265, while 292 counters were unchanged, 823 untraded and 19 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 3.05 billion shares worth RM1.38 billion.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd said Bursa Malaysia’s mixed performance reflected the weaker performance con the Wall Street, as the overnight Dow Jones Industrial Average Index succumbed to sellers, closing 410.3 points lower to 21,917.2.
“The way Wall Street panned out yesterday hopping between positive and negative territory, displayed the uncertainty amongst investors.
“Sentiments were also affected by the surge of Covid-19 cases in the US, which is closing into 190,000,” it said in a note today.
The online equities broker expected some pressure on the FBM KLCI today with 1,330 being the immediate support level.
On the index board, the FBM 70 strengthened 95.63 points to 10,646.19, the FBM Ace inched up 70.84 points to 4,052.65 and the FBM Small Cap Index surged 216.35 points to 9,425.02.
However, the FBM Emas Index shrank 39.81 points to 9,199.99, the FBM Emas Shariah Index dwindled 76.10 points to 10,028.98 while the FBMT 100 Index inched down 50.11 points to 9,16.40.
Among the heavyweights, Petronas Chemicals dropped 22 sen to RM4.83, Maxis fell 17 sen to RM5.18, Digi retreated 15 sen to RM4.20, Tenaga lost 16 sen to RM11.86 and Axiata was eight sen lower at RM3.20.
The most actively traded counters were dominated by energy-linked stocks, which saw Sapura Energy ticked up half-a-sen to 8.5 sen, Armada, KNM and Hibiscus bagged one sen each to 14.5 sen, 12.5 sen and 35 sen respectively, while Alam Maritim Resources was flat at five sen.
Trive slid half-a-sen to five sen.
Petronas Dagangan emerged as the top loser, erasing 72 sen to RM20.44, Nestle wiped out 40 sen to RM136.30, Carlsberg declined 38 sen to RM24.62, Heineken Malaysia dropped 36 sen to RM21.52 and F&N was 28 sen weaker at RM30.74.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 1.28 points to 106.32, the Financial Services Index declined 57.82 points to 12,212.85 and the Plantation Index was 61.61 points easier at 6,190.52. — Bernama
