.JPG "An investor monitors the stock prices in the gallery of the RHB Investment Bank Bhd headquarters in Kuala Lumpur March 17, 2020. u00e2u20acu2022 Picture by Hari Anggara")
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session lower today with sellers broadly outpacing gainers, as risk appetite was clouded by weak market sentiment.
At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 12.09 points to 1,454.80 after opening 1.42 points lower at 1,465.47.
The index was moving between 1,452.13 and 1,467.27 throughout the morning session.
Losers overtook gainers 774 to 197, while 338 counters were unchanged, 781 untraded and 20 others suspended.
Total volume stood at 2.83 billion units worth RM1.55 billion.
Energy index was the biggest hit so far as it slipped 2.88 per cent, followed by healthcare which shed 2.77 per cent.
Energy took a decline after benchmark Brent crude slipped to below US$40 (RM166.26) per barrel on lackluster demand and outlook, while healthcare was affected by selling position.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said the volatility would remain unabated owing to several factors such as the rising political tension domestically, impending US election and rising number of Covid-19 cases globally.
“We reckon that the extended volatility may take place this week as investors’ sentiment remains cautious.
“The lower liners are expected to remain on a choppy mode as investors prefer to adopt the wait and see approach before taking further risks,” it said in a note.
On heavyweights, Top Glove eased 37 sen to RM8.20, MISC deducted six sen to RM6.53, Dialog erased 10 sen to RM3.60, Hartalega decreased 12 sen to RM17.88, Petronas Chemicals slipped four sen to RM5.81 and Maybank dropped two sen to RM6.98.
On actives, tech counters led by Lambo Group was half-a-sen lower at 2.5 sen while AT Systematization eased one sen to 9.0 sen .
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index erased 114.01 points to 10,499.57, the FBMT 100 Index was 108.14 points lower at 10,324.49 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 161.78 points to 12,579.90.
The FBM 70, meanwhile, slipped 230.92 points to 13,754.17 and the FBM ACE was 148.39 points weaker at 9,294.81.
The Financial Services Index was down 65.14 points to 11,944.25, the Industrial Products and Services Index was 1.32 point lower at 139.82, and the Plantation Index shed 12.12 points to 6,789.78. — Bernama
