KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — Bursa Malaysia retreated from yesterday’s gains to end mixed today, as last-minute profit takings weighed on the barometer index.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.25 point to finish at 1,583.25 from yesterday’s close of 1,583.50.
The index opened 0.44 point better at 1,583.94 and moved between 1,579.90 and 1,590.63 throughout the period.
However, overall market breadth was positive with gainers leading losers 537 to 496, while 433 counters were unchanged, 468 untraded and 26 others suspended.
Total volume slipped to 10.24 billion shares worth RM5.18 billion from yesterday’s 11.81 billion shares worth RM4.36 billion.
Regionally, China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange gained 1.39 per cent to 3,450.59, Japan’s Nikkei Index added 0.40 per cent to 22,529.29, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index improved 0.31 per cent 26,210.16, South Korea’s KOSPI grew 0.42 per cent to 2,167.90 but Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.43 per cent to 2,657.95.
A dealer said Asian equities were mostly traded with an upside bias today, taking a cue from the strong overnight performance of US shares led by technology stocks and the continuing bullish run on China’s exchange.
Locally, she said, Bursa Malaysia was mostly in positive territory on continued buying interest in financial stocks led by Public Bank during the trading session but retreated towards the closing as profit takings emerged on heavyweight stocks.
Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd economist Adam Mohamed Rahim told Bernama the Bursa healthcare index grew around five per cent supported by glove makers.
“The nation’s industrial production index announced today posted an 18.2 per cent increase month-on-month in May 2020.
“This was partly attributable to the government’s move to allow more industries to resume operations, boosting all indices especially manufacturing which increased 25.9 per cent in May,” he said.
Among heavyweights, Public Bank rose 50 sen to RM18.50, Top Glove climbed 64 sen to RM21.18 and Hartalega accumulated 18 sen to RM16.60.
Tenaga shed eight sen to RM11.48 while Maybank was flat at RM7.91.
Of the most active, PDZ Holdings slid1.5 sen to 19 sen, Fintec Global added one sen to 10.0 sen, AT Systematization eased half-a-sen to 9.5 sen, MQ Technology reduced one sen to eight sen while Vortex was flat at eight sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas was 34.39 points better at 11,160.96, the FBMT 100 Index enlarged 35.39 points to 11,010.84 and the FBM ACE extended 109.28 points to 7,237.92.
The FBM 70 surged 192.20 points to 13,790.31 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index expanded 31.52 points to 12,734.39.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index slid 1.23 points to 139.70, the Plantation Index slipped 28.37 points to 6,858.82, but the Financial Services Index advanced 90.57 points to 13,545.58.
Main Market volume narrowed to 5.29 billion shares worth RM4.29 billion from 6.67 billion shares worth RM3.63 billion yesterday.
Warrants turnover increased to 647.72 million units valued at RM243.14 million versus 457.55 million units valued at RM144.26 million previously.
Volume on the ACE Market contracted to 4.30 billion shares worth RM651.20 million from 4.68 billion shares worth RM577.60 million yesterday.
Consumer products and services accounted for 639.54 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (1.36 billion), construction (394.27 million), technology (491.51 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (112.99 million), property (355.75 million), plantations (82.31 million), REITs (10.84 million), closed/fund (49,500), energy (535.86 million), healthcare (110.85 million), telecommunications and media (220.71 million), transportation and logistics (939.58 million), and utilities (36.92 million). — Bernama
