KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Bursa Malaysia opened lower on Thursday as cautious investor sentiment persisted despite overnight gains on Wall Street.
At 9.10 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 3.16 points to 1,592.03 from Wednesday’s close of 1,595.19.
The benchmark index opened 3.61 points lower at 1,591.58.
Market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 216 to 109.
A total of 255 counters were unchanged, 2,194 remained untraded and 13 were suspended.
Turnover stood at 253.49 million units worth RM83.18 million.
Apex Securities Bhd said the FBM KLCI remained bearish after slipping below the psychological 1,600-point level, with its recent rebound failing to generate sustained upward momentum.
It expects the benchmark index to remain under pressure in the near term, as persistent global interest rate concerns and stronger-than-expected US inflation have fuelled expectations of a possible US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike in December, potentially dampening foreign fund flows into emerging markets.
“Investors will also be monitoring the upcoming US Producer Price Index (PPI), the final key inflation indicator ahead of the Fed’s December Federal Open Market Committee meeting,” it said in a note today.
On the domestic front, Apex Securities said investors were likely to adopt a selective approach ahead of the third-quarter 2026 earnings season, with corporate results and management guidance expected to shape stock-specific movements.
The Melaka state election on November 14 could also add to near-term market uncertainty, it added.
Among heavyweight stocks, CIMB fell three sen to RM7.05, Tenaga Nasional lost six sen to RM12.90 and IHH Healthcare eased one sen to RM7.72.
Maybank was flat at RM9.95, while Public Bank gained two sen to RM4.55.
In active trade, Iconic Worldwide and MMAG Holdings each gained half a sen to 12.5 sen and 4.5 sen, respectively.
Kinergy Advancement and Avangaad were unchanged at 37.5 sen and 29.6 sen, respectively, while GIIB Holdings shed one sen to 14.5 sen.
Among the top gainers, United Plantations rose 78 sen to RM31.02, Sarawak Plantation gained 15 sen to RM4.08, SD Guthrie added 13 sen to RM6.12, Keck Seng advanced seven sen to RM4.75 and Bursa Malaysia climbed five sen to RM8.24.
Petronas Dagangan led the decliners, falling 30 sen to RM19.22.
Westports Holdings lost nine sen to RM7.33, Vitrox Corp shed 11 sen to RM9.95, MN Holdings declined 10 sen to RM3.88 and Critical Holdings slipped eight sen to RM2.31.
On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index fell 26.24 points to 11,851.54, while the FBM Top 100 Index declined 25.11 points to 11,674.23.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index dropped 42.31 points to 11,829.14, the FBM ACE Index eased 14.86 points to 5,291.64 and the FBM Mid 70 Index slipped 44.98 points to 17,072.88.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index fell 7.24 points to 18,483.97, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 0.91 points to 171.53 and the Energy Index lost 2.60 points to 786.41.
In contrast, the Plantation Index gained 77.06 points to 8,804.99. — Bernama
