KL shares extend gains, CI up 0.55%

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia extended gains on renewed buying interest, buoyed by a return in risk appetite, global market optimism and an upbeat overnight performance on Wall Street.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) settled at 1,765.80, up 9.75 points or 0.55% from last Friday's close of 1,756.05.
The FBM KLCI posted an intraday high of 1,765.94 in early trade and moved within a 7.47-point range of between 1,765.94 and 1,758.47 points.
Volume swelled to 3.65 billion units worth RM3.11 billion from the 3.12 billion units worth RM2.65 billion recorded on Friday.
A dealer told Bernama, the bullish momentum on Bursa Malaysia is likely to develop further with the FBM KLCI having a strong tendency to retest the 1,800-level in the near term.
“Equity markets everywhere are lingering in the glow of relief after the French Presidential election, stabilising oil prices and US dollar.
“Global sentiment is now conducive and the positivity that helped lift investors’ risk appetite globally is expected to continue.The local bourse will rise in tandem with regional peers, with funds seemingly starting to come into emerging markets, including Malaysia ," he added.
Meanwhile, the Morgan Stanley Capital International broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan surged 0.6%, hovering near its highest level since June 2015, for a fourth straight day of gains, as Japan's Nikkei Index rose more 1.08% to a three-week high.
South Korea's Kospi Index also advanced 0.7% to its highest level since April 2015.
On Bursa Malaysia CIMB was the top contributor to the index, adding 14 sen to RM5.75, with 23.82 million shares traded.
Other leading movers were AMMB, up 28 sen to RM5.45, Axiata improving eight sen to RM5.14, while Sime Darby and TNB, both gained six sen each to RM9.33 and RM13.80 respectively.
On the broader market, gainers outpaced losers 559 to 388 with 377 counters unchanged, 436 counters untraded and 23 others suspended.
Among actively-traded stocks, AirAsia X, Tiger, DNEX and Iris added half-a-sen each to 45 sen, 7.5 sen, 55.5 sen and 18.5 sen respectively.
The top gainer was Nestle, which rose RM1.08 to RM82.48 and the top loser was British American Tobacco, which fell 80 sen to RM45.72.
The FBM Emas Index rose 87.63 points to 12,578.21, the FBMT100 Index advanced 84.17 points to 12,210.39, the FBM 70 surged 165.46 points to 14,896.24, the FBM Emas Syariah Index improved 85.50 points to 12,933.56, but the FBM Ace declined 46.31 points to 6,111.81.
Sector-wise, the Finance Index soared 120.90 points to 16,129.48, the Plantation Index climbed 45.96 points to 8,073.23, while the Industrial Index chalked up 13.72 points to 3,223.28.
Main Market turnover expanded to 2.52 million units worth RM2.96 billion, from 2.27 million units worth RM2.51 billion registered on Friday.
Volume on the ACE Market rose to 705.83 million shares worth RM113.83 million, from yesterday’s 562.9 million shares worth RM108.4 million.
Warrants widened to 408.94 million units worth RM42.80 million from 267.63 million units worth RM30.69 million.
Consumer products accounted for 133.73 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (462.24 million), construction (107.02 million), trade and services (1.08 billion), technology (175.42 million), infrastructure (11.78 million), SPAC (1.83), finance (93.94 million), hotels (1.24 million), properties (427.78 million), plantations (19.76 million), mining (0), REITs (6.39 million) and closed/fund (4,400).
The physical price of gold as at 5pm stood at RM172.58 per gramme, down RM2.66 from RM175.24 at 5pm last Friday. — Bernama