KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Bursa Malaysia recouped earlier losses to reach a better position during mid-morning, lifted by buying support in the index-linked counters led by Maybank.

At 11.10am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 2.48 points to 1,624.33 from Friday’s close of 1,621.85.

The barometer index opened higher this morning but retreated thereafter for a couple of hours due to mild profit taking before returning into positive territory.

On the broader market, gainers outnumbered losers 631 to 553, while 424 counters were unchanged, 525 untraded and 31 others suspended.

Volume stood at 713.43 billion units worth RM2.94 billion.

Regional markets were mostly lower with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index losing 1.76 per cent to 26,362.48, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipping 0.4 per cent to 26,645.23 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index easing 0.13 per cent to 2,836.18.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose eight sen to RM8.28 and Petronas Chemicals added one sen to RM7.40 while Tenaga was flat at RM10.94.

Public Bank and Top Glove lost four sen each to RM18.56 and RM6.61 respectively, Hartalega decreased 12 sen to RM14.38, while IHH eased three sen to RM5.42.

Among the actives, Yong Tai bagged 6.5 sen to 43 sen, Sapura Energy inched up half-a-sen to 13 sen, Xidelang added one sen to 45.5 sen, and Inix gained 12.5 sen to 45.4 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index increased 43.18 points to 11,783.9, the FBMT 100 Index advanced 45.4 points to 11,539.36 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 32.73 points to 13,539.9.

The FBM 70 climbed 168.6 points to 15,418.15 and the FBM ACE went up 50.38 points to 10,675.35.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.19 of-a-point to 173.98, the Plantation Index bagged 40.43 points to 7,389.83 and the Financial Services Index rose 61.96 points to 14,579.41. — Bernama