KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Bursa Malaysia turned mixed at the close today, driven by late buying in selected plantation as well as consumer products and services counters amid weaker regional market sentiment, dealers said.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.14 points to end the day at 1,505.11 from Thursday’s close of 1,501.97.

The market bellwether, which opened 1.39 points better at 1,503.36, fluctuated between 1,498.80 and 1,507.54 throughout the day.

Market breadth, however, remained negative with losers leading gainers 579 to 373, while 458 counters were unchanged, 806 untraded, and 32 others suspended.

Turnover increased to 3.56 billion units worth RM2.1 billion from 3.45 billion units valued at RM2.27 billion on Thursday.

Among the biggest contributors to the benchmark index were Kuala Lumpur Kepong and Hap Seng Consolidated which rose by RM1.04 and 15 sen to RM20.18 and RM7.86 respectively.

A dealer said the Asian markets were mostly weaker despite the broadly positive sentiment from the overnight Wall Street as investors remain concerned over the recent regulatory crackdown in China and the alarming spread of the highly contagious coronavirus variants in the region.

The Chinese government has recently unveiled a five-year plan, outlining tighter regulation of much of its economy.

Back home, other heavyweights Maybank improved 4.0 sen to RM8.05 while Public Bank slipped 1.0 sen to RM3.94, and Petronas Chemicals and IHH Healthcare declined 3.0 sen each RM7.96 and RM5.80, respectively, and Tenaga Nasional fell 4.0 sen to RM9.66.

Among the actives, Serba Dinamik added 1.5 sen to 43.5 sen, KNM improved 1.0 sen to 21 sen, but Dagang NeXchange shed 3.0 sen to 78.5 sen and Komarkcorp was down 1.5 sen to 14.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 7.52 points higher at 11,015.02, FBMT 100 Index gained 7.86 points to 10,731.73, FBM Emas Shariah Index increased 4.26 points to 12,091.21, but the FBM 70 lost 46.06 points to 14,491.31 and the FBM ACE dipped 5.25 points to 7,139.78.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index rose 11.77 points to 14,783.10, the Plantation Index jumped 91.88 points to 6,213.41 and the Industrial Products and Services Index earned 0.22 of-a-point to 189.02.

Main Market volume increased to 2.37 billion shares worth RM1.74 billion from 2.31 billion shares valued at RM1.93 billion on Thursday.

Warrants turnover widened to 327.12 million units worth RM43.61 million compared with Thursday’s 258.50 million units valued at RM36.51 million.

Volume on the ACE Market rose to 779.94 million shares worth RM313.11 million versus 754.43 million shares valued at RM299 million previously.

Consumer products and services accounted for 407.12 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (674.19 million), construction (51.84 million), technology (327.39 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (36.08 million), property (263.06 million), plantation (41.84 million), REITs (6.25 million), closed/fund (79,000), energy (420.02 million), healthcare (55.80 million), telecommunications and media (33.73 million), transportation and logistics (40.38 million), and utilities (10.75 million). — Bernama