KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 ― Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session mixed, with the key index remained in negative territory amid sustained selling activities in selected heavyweights.

Weak sentiment in the local bourse was also in line with most regional markets as investors focused on the new Covid-19 infections in China.

At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 1.72 points to 1,503.19 from yesterday’s close of 1,504.91. 

The index opened 6.95 points weaker at 1,497.96 and hovered between 1,496.79 and 1,510.70  throughout the early trading session.

On the broader market, gainers outpaced losers 465 to 364, while 394 counters were unchanged, 728 untraded and 37 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 3.35 billion units worth RM1.79 billion.

OANDA senior market analyst for Asia Pacific, Jeffrey Halley said Asian markets already have one eye on the weekend it appears, with price action subdued across the board after a cautious New York overnight session.

“With a lack of material drivers today and with the weekend upon us, regional investors are likely to reduce risk, meaning that any rallies will be small in scale and probably short in duration,” he said in a note today.

Regionally, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index eased 0.07 per cent to 24,448.16, Singapore’s Straits Times Index narrowed 0.75 per cent to 2,645.59 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.71 per cent to 22,513.93. 

Meanwhile, among Bursa Malaysia’s heavyweights, IHH Healthcare rose four sen to RM5.44, Top Glove advanced 22 sen to RM14.92, Hartalega appreciated 18 sen to RM11.68, TNB was flat at RM11.80, Maybank, Petronas Chemicals and Maxis trimmed two sen each to RM7.69, RM6.36, and RM5.31 respectively, while Public Bank eased 24 sen to RM16.56    

Of the most actives, Prestariang jumped nine sen to 57.5 sen, MQ Technology edged up half-a-sen to 4.5 sen, while Minetech, Bumi Armada, AT Systematization and Vortex all added one sen to 32 sen, 25 sen and 7.5 sen, respectively.

KNM was flat at 25 sen and Anzo inched down half-a-sen to eight sen.   

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index discounted 1.55 points to 10,580.32, the FBMT 100 Index slipped 6.78 points to 10,429.75 but the FBM 70 went up 12.55 points to 12,966.57.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index advanced 32.74 points to 11,962.36, and the FBM ACE widened 51.98 points to 5,957.38. 

Sector-wise, the Plantation Index jumped 22.52 points to 6,735.92, the Industrial Products and Services Index slid 0.31 points to 135.03, and the Financial Services Index weakened 70.74 points to 13,004.03. ― Bernama