Bursa Malaysia opens higher
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia rebounded to open higher today lifted by buying interest in heavyweights led by Digi, IOI Corp and TNB.
At 9.10am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 1.29 points higher at 1,766.88 from yesterday's close of 1,765.59.
The index opened 2.03 points better at 1,767.62.
Digi rose five sen to RM4.90 while both IOI Corp and TNB increased four sen to RM4.57 and RM14.44, respectively.
On the broader market, gainers outpaced losers 152 to 88, with 193 counters unchanged, 1,419 untraded and 66 others were suspended.
Turnover stood at 201.71 million shares worth RM71.48 million.
JF Apex Securities said the FBM KLCI was expected to remain pressured today in the absence of catalyst with support expected at the 1,750 points level, following the uninspiring performance in the US and European markets.
"The US markets ended mixed with the Dow suffering its first four-day losing streak since June as technology counters rebounded.
"Meanwhile, European stocks closed flat as investor sentiment improved from the previous day's sell-off in technology counters and geopolitical concerns over North Korea," it said in its research note today.
Other heavyweights, Public Bank added two sen to RM20.58, Petronas Chemicals gained one sen to RM7.33, Maybank was flat at RM9.80 while Sime Darby and CIMB fell three sen each to RM9.01 and RM6.31, respectively.
Among active counters, Frontken was 2.5 sen higher at 42 sen, Hubline, Icon Offshore and Alam Maritim were flat at 10 sen, 30.5 sen and 23 sen, respectively, while Hibiscus Petroleum declined 1.5 sen to 65 sen.
The FBM Emas Index rose 11.1 points to 12,578.84 and the FBMT 100 Index improved 9.88 points to 12,235.22.
The FBM 70 expanded 15.73 points to 14,991.98, the FBM Emas Syariah Index advanced 17.91 points to 12,801.79 and the FBM Ace jumped 41.89 points to 6,564.79.
Sector-wise, the Finance Index gave up 13.38 points to 16,630.21, the Industrial Index inched down 0.89 of-a-point to 3,209.9 but the Plantation Index strengthened 7.88 points at 7,882.57.
The physical price of gold as at 9.30am stood at RM169.63 per gramme, down RM1.22 from RM170.85 at 5.00pm yesterday. — Bernama