KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 ― Bursa Malaysia stayed lower at mid-afternoon, dragged down by persistent selling in selected heavyweights mainly in the industrial products and services sector.

Press Metal Aluminium eased nine sen to RM4.81 and Petronas Chemicals slid seven sen to RM6.93. Both stocks pulled the composite index down by a combined 2.14 points.

At 3.02pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) decreased by 1.97 points to 1,484.89 from yesterday’s close of 1,486.86.

The benchmark index opened 0.29 of-a-point better at 1,487.15.

In the broader market, decliners trounced gainers 546 to 349, while 425 counters were unchanged, 898 untraded and 29 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.88 billion units worth RM1.74 billion.

Meanwhile, Rapid Synergy Bhd and IMASPRO Corporation Bhd have received an unusual market activity (UMA) query from Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd prompted by steep declines in their share price recently.

In today’s trading, Rapid Synergy led the top losers as its shares fell by RM4.90 to RM11.48 from RM16.38 previously, while, IMASPRO eased 31 sen to RM2.19 from RM2.50 previously.

Among other heavyweights, Maxis lost three sen to RM3.83 and Hong Leong Bank reduced 10 sen to RM18.80, while Sime Darby Plantation increased three sen to RM4.40 and Maybank added two sen to RM9.02.

Of the actives, Hong Seng Consolidated and Widad inched up half-a-sen each to 2.5 sen and 49.5 sen, respectively.

Sarawak Consolidated edged up five sen to RM1.13, and Minetech Resources shrank half-a-sen to 22 sen, however, SMTrack was flat at 5.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM 70 Index went up 23.15 points to 15,101.79 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index perked by 5.20 points to 11,240.16.

The FBM Emas Index, however, erased 8.54 points to 11,089.29, the FBMT 100 Index weakened 6.38 points to 10,737.37, and the FBM ACE Index slid 25.69 points to 5,407.16.

Sector-wise, the Energy Index put on 9.84 points to 860.02 and the Plantation Index expanded 56.55 points to 7,124.06.

The Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 1.22 points to 175.24, the Financial Services Index shaved off 6.44 points to 16,541.35, and the Property Index was 11.60 points lower at 884.82. ― Bernama