.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, Sept 27 — Bursa Malaysia remained lower at mid-afternoon today in line with weaker sentiment in the regional equity markets, driven by growing concern over rising global oil prices, dealers said.
At 3pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 2.38 points to 1,520.68 from Friday’s close of 1,532.06.
Market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 570 to 394, while 391 counters were unchanged, 958 untraded and 16 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 2.87 billion units worth RM1.82 billion.
A dealer said that most of the Asian markets traded in cautious mode today over concern that the jump in oil prices to three-year highs could stoke inflation fears and aggravate the recent hawkish turn by some major central banks.
Brent crude oil added 62 cents on Monday to US$78.71 per barrel, while US crude rose 71 cents to US$74.69 per barrel.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank slipped a sen to RM8.09 and TNB was flat at RM9.86, while Public Bank added a sen to RM4.05, Petronas Chemicals jumped 26 sen to RM8.37, and IHH Healthcare went up five sen to RM6.69.
Of the actives, Borneo Oil was flat at three sen, KNM and NWP Holdings improved 1.5 sen each to 24.5 sen and 24.5 sen, respectively, and DNex inched up half-a-sen to 81.5 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index dropped 11.20 points to 11,264.81, the FBMT 100 Index was 16.61 points lower at 10,956.91, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 17.39 points to 12,286.64.
The FBM 70 shed 20.99 points to 14,990.80 while the FBM ACE lifted 73.28 points to 7,235.50.
Sector-wise, the Plantation Index increased 11.82 points to 6,307.47, the Financial Services Index advanced 9.42 points to 15,202.86, and the Industrial Products and Services Index added 1.72 points to 202.28. — Bernama
