KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 — The key index ended the week at an intraday high amid cautious sentiment in the broader market, lifted by selected heavyweights including banking stocks that benefited from Bank Negara Malaysia’s decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate at 1.75 per cent and amid stronger oil prices, said a dealer.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) jumped 18.86 points or 1.19 per cent to settle at 1,600.12 from yesterday’s close of 1,581.26.
The key index opened 1.42 points higher at 1,582.26 and touched an intraday low of 1,579.74 earlier in the day.
Market breadth, however, was negative with losers outpacing gainers 617 to 560, while 422 counters were unchanged, 556 untraded and nine others suspended.
Brent crude jumped 1.24 per cent to US$67.96 after the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)+ allies extended their production cuts.
Total volume decreased to 7.99 billion units worth RM5.15 billion from yesterday’s 9.63 billion units worth RM5.37 billion.
Among the heavyweights, Top Glove jumped 29 sen to RM5.25, Public Bank and CIMB strengthened 12 sen each to RM4.35 and RM4.49, respectively, RHB Bank advanced 18 sen to RM5.50 and Hong Leong Bank bagged 26 sen to RM18.68.
Sime Darby Plantation was flat at RM4.95, TNB declined six sen to RM10.34, IHH Healthcare fell 14 sen to RM5.33, Press Metal depreciated 12 sen to RM9.60 and Maxis slid one sen to RM4.56.
Of the actives, Velesto Energy rose one sen to 17.5 sen, Bumi Armada advanced three sen to 45.5 sen, TH Heavy Engineering increased 1.5 sen 13.5 sen, Sapura Energy edged up half-a-sen to 15 sen, Sealink International gained three sen to 21 sen and Komarkcorp shed 17.5 sen to 43.5 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index increased 74.59 points to 11,695.26, the FBMT 100 widened 82.31 points to 11,398.57, the FBM Emas Shariah improved 18.77 points to 12,935.83, the FBM ACE advanced 13.73 points to 10,407.99, but the FBM 70 gave up 90.34 points to 15,348.65.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index was 0.34 of-a-point easier at 184.84, the Plantation Index expanded 13.96 points to 7,163.42, and the Financial Services Index surged 265.09 points to 15,452.74.
Main Market volume was slightly down to 5.77 billion shares worth RM4.46 billion from yesterday’s 5.81 billion shares worth RM4.58 billion.
Warrants turnover eased to 443.22 million units worth RM94.73 million from 487.12 million units worth RM83.64 million yesterday.
Volume on the ACE Market declined to 1.78 billion shares worth RM594.34 million from 3.33 billion shares worth RM709.20 million.
Consumer products and services accounted for 804.48 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (1.40 billion), construction (179.31 million), technology (591.03 billion), SPAC (nil), financial services (221.79 million), property (481.90 million), plantations (25.58 million), REITs (102.78 million), closed/fund (23,500), energy (1.38 billion), healthcare (105.89 million), telecommunications and media (192.06 million), transportation and logistics (66.48 million), and utilities (46.06 million). — Bernama
