KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session higher after trading in a range-bound mode, as investors lacked a clear direction following the mixed trading pattern in Asian markets.
At lunch break, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KCLI (FBM KLCI) edged up 1.42 points, or 0.10 per cent to 1,425.39 from 1,423.97 at yesterday's close.
The key index opened 5.29 points firmer at 1,429.26 and hovered between 1,420.18 and 1,430.19 throughout the early session.
Market breadth was positive with gainers leading losers 435 to 377, while 378 counters were unchanged, 701 untraded and 19 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 3.81 billion worth RM1.90 billion.
Regionally, Japan’s Nikkei Index increased 1.14 per cent to 20,666.91, Singapore’s Straits Times Index retreated 0.93 per cent to 2,557.32 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index trimmed 0.10 per cent to 24,364.49.
A dealer said market participants were waiting for further investment directions after the People’s Bank of China left its benchmark lending rate unchanged, in addition to the weaker overnight Wall Street which had been weighed down by skepticism over a potential Covid-19 vaccine.
Among the 30 KLCI-linked counters, Maybank added three sen to RM7.48, Tenaga improved 16 sen to RM12.32 while Public Bank lost eight sen to RM15.42, IHH eased one sen to RM5.49 and Petronas Chemicals was three sen weaker at RM5.81.
Of the most actives, Bumi Armada and Sapura Energy were unchanged at 24.5 sen and 10 sen respectively, Rimbunan Sawit and TDM shed half-a-sen to 30.5 sen and 26.5 sen, respectively, while KNM was half-a-sen higher at 22.5 sen.
Top gainer Pharmaniaga accumulated 36 sen to RM2.24 while top loser Nestle shrank RM1.50 to RM138.50.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index gained 20.70 points to 10,092.16, the FBM Emas Shariah Index was 38.51 points higher at 11,447.19 and the FBMT 100 Index advanced 15.92 points to 9,933.04.
The FBM ACE increased 58.61 points to 5,422.01, and the FBM 70 rose 44.59 points to 12,525.59.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index ticked up 0.17 of-a-point to 124.22, the Plantation Index strengthened 47.77 points to 6,581.77, but the Financial Services Index shrank 8.92 points to 12,406.0. — Bernama
