KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Bursa Malaysia ended higher after a volatile trading day, with the trading volume breaking another record high of 15.62 billion shares after breaching a fresh record yesterday.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 3.33 points or 0.21 per cent to 1,575.94 from yesterday’s close of 1,572.61.

Trading volume was at 15.62 billion shares worth RM10.44 billion against yesterday’s 13.12 billion shares valued at RM8.24 billion.

The key index, which opened 5.63 points firmer at 1,578.24, moved between 1,549.62 and 1,580.87 throughout the trading day.

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Market breadth was positive as gainers outpaced losers 608 to 514, while 376 counters were unchanged, 512 untraded and 15 others suspended.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd head of research Kenny Yee said the higher volume was due to heavy transaction in healthcare, technology and telecommunications stocks which continued to spur investors’ interest, thus resulting in bargain hunting amid the volatile trading.

“Besides, we think sentiment has become more bullish due to the better Wall Street performance overnight, driven by surging optimism over the upcoming stimulus bill by the United States government, as well as China’s improved manufacturing activity which expanded in July,” he told Bernama.

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Of the heavyweights, Maybank was flat at RM7.50, Top Glove advanced RM1.48 to RM28.36, Hartalega eased 56 sen to RM16.70, Public Bank added 14 sen sen to RM16.70 and Tenaga slipped 16 sen to RM10.94.

Of the actives, MTouche rose 3.5 sen to 11 sen, while AT and XDL added half-a-sen each to 10.5 sen and 6.5 sen respectively.

Among top gainers, Supermax soared RM3.08 to RM22.42, followed by Top Glove and Adventa, which gained 96 sen to RM4.67.

For top losers, Nestle dipped RM1.70 to RM139.00, F&N fell RM1.58 to RM30.52 and Carlsberg dropped 88 sen to RM24.20. 

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index strengthened 71.99 points to 11,334.57, the FBM Emas Shariah Index was 102.30 points higher at 13,446.49 and the FBMT 100 Index increased 65.68 points to 11,154.04

The FBM 70 jumped 251.54 points to 14,741.80 and the FBM ACE leaped 483.35 points to 9,660.18.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index trimmed 0.51 point to 138.55, the Financial Services Index recovered 39.93 points to 12,882.05 and the Plantation Index erased 1.73 points to 7,036.75.

Main Market volume increased to 6.27 billion shares valued at RM6.85 billion compared with 5.74 billion shares worth RM5.35 billion yesterday.

Warrants turnover rose to 1.14 billion units worth RM530.66 million from 720.54 million units valued at RM283.44 million previously.

Volume on the ACE Market expanded to 8.20 billion shares valued at RM3.06 billion versus 6.65 billion shares valued at RM2.60 billion yesterday.

Consumer products and services accounted for 2.04 billion shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (1.41 billion), construction (191.03 million), technology (782.43 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (53.04 million), property (487.78 million), plantations (149.81 million), REITs (15.98 million), closed/fund (124,000), energy (560.70 million), healthcare (205.26 million), telecommunications and media (84.33 million), transportation and logistics (258.93 million), and utilities (22.64 million). — Bernama