KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Bursa Malaysia resumed the afternoon session on an easier note due to selling in selected heavyweights, but the key index managed to remain above the 1,500 level.

Bucking the positive regional trend, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 2.01 points to 1,517.63 as at 3.08 pm.

Losers edged past gainers at 558 versus 519, while 404 counters were unchanged, 693 untraded and 40 others suspended.

Total volume stood at 7.79 billion worth RM3.12 billion.

A dealer said the sentiment in the regional market remained positive as investors were upbeat on the United States’s economic recovery following Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.

“Profit taking emerged in the local market after recent gains brought about by the expansionary Budget 2021, pushing some selling in bluechips,” the dealer said.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank fell four sen to RM7.14 and Tenaga lost 10 sen to RM10.20, while Top Glove added one sen to RM8.51, Hartalega increased 10 sen to RM18.30 and Public Bank earned four sen to RM15.26.

Of the actives, AT Systematization improved six sen to 19 sen, while both Lambo and XOX added one sen each to four sen and 12.5 sen, respectively, while Pegasus inched up half-a-sen to 2.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index contracted 22.35 points to 10,996.62, the FBMT 100 Index was 21.28 points easier at 10,792, the FBM Emas Shariah Index shed 2.24 points to 13,273.16 and the FBM 70 decreased 60.26 points to 14,456.54.

Meanwhile, the FBM ACE soared 301.13 points to 11,275.04.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.71 of-a-point to 150.5 and the Plantation Index perked 23.95 points to 7,147.33, while the Financial Services Index fell 53.12 points to 12,241.34. — Bernama